Funicular of Valle de los Caídos, Mountain funicular in Valley of Cuelgamuros, Spain.
The Funicular of Valle de los Caídos is a single-track funicular railway with a metric gauge, built into the slope near San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain. Its 272.41-metre line links the Lonja esplanade at the basilica to the base of the monumental cross above, climbing 120.55 metres at a 28-degree gradient. Two 5.9-metre cars, each holding 40 passengers, run on adhesion wheels and are hauled by a cable from a machine room at the upper station.
The funicular was built in 1975, shortly after the basilica was completed, to give visitors easier access to the memorial grounds on the slope above. It was overhauled twice, in 1987 and again in 2004, before being taken out of service.
The funicular connected the Lonja esplanade at the basilica with the base of the monumental cross above it, a climb of 120.55 metres. Its two cars, each 5.9 metres long and holding 40 travellers, ran on a single metric-gauge track 272.41 metres long, hauled by a cable from a machine room at the upper station. The service has been suspended since 2009 because of possible rockfalls from the mountain.
The funicular has been out of service since 2009, so visitors currently cannot use it to reach the upper part of the site. It is worth checking before your visit whether alternative access to the memorial area is available.
The tracks and structure of the funicular are still visible along the steep granite face, even though the system has not run for more than 15 years. The closure was not caused by a mechanical failure but by concerns over falling rocks from the surrounding cliffs.
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