A drawing of the abandoned funicular tracks along the Muralha das Freiras in 1891
The original line was inaugurated on 3 June 1891.[1] Almost exactly 2 years later, on 5 June 1893, there was an accident caused by excess velocity, and the funicular car was decommissioned.[1]
The former "House" of the funicular railway was by 1893 occupied by an atelier operated by sculptor Henrique Moreira.[1] It was later remodelled to function as a meeting hall for local Jehovah's Witnesses.[1]
As part of a larger initiative to improve the transport infrastructure of Porto, a new funicular and station was inaugurated on 19 February 2004, following the same line as before.
Architecture
The funicular is situated along the wall of Freiras, running down a steep cliff between the quay at Guindais and Rua da Batalha (terminating at building of the Civil Governor).[2][3]
Owned and operated by the Porto Metro, the single-track funicular uses a central loop system that is 281 metres (922 ft) long, allowing it to descend 61 metres (200 ft), with the upper 90 metres (295 ft) situated within the passenger tunnel, with the markedly steep gradient in the section below the passing loop. Two vehicles run the course, with a capacity for 25 persons each, operating at a maximum speed of 5 metres per second (16 ft/s). Due to the difference in slope along the line, the cars have self-levelling platforms, allowing the car floor to maintain itself horizontal no matter the track incline.[2] Although the journey is short (approximately 3 minutes) after emerging from the upper tunnel, passengers are able to view the landscape from the Dom Luís I Bridge, the river margins (including both quays along Ribeira and Cais de Gaia and the Port wine warehouses and traditional boats along the Douro River.
Oporto - Funicular dos Guindais - 20110425 132242
The service is commonly used by locals/commuters to access the river and metro services, including the metro at São Bento: the service runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, with extended hours to midnight on weekends and holidays.
Gallery
Car at the passing loop
Two the funicular cars as they each reach the passing loop
^Abreu, Andreia. "Andar de elevador é caro!" [Lift is expensive!] (in Portuguese). Jornalismo Porto Net. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
Sources
Porto a Património Mundial, Processo de Candidatura da Cidade do Porto à classificação pela UNESCO como Património Cultural da Humanidade - 1993 (in Portuguese), Porto, Portugal: Câmara Municipal do Porto, 1993
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