Carmelit, Underground funicular railway in Haifa, Israel
Carmelit is an underground funicular railway in Haifa, Israel, linking the city center with the Carmel neighborhood. The system runs through a single tunnel and serves six stops along the route.
Mayor Abba Hushi commissioned French engineers in the 1950s to design it, and the railway opened to the public in 1959. The project emerged from a desire to make the steep slopes of the city more accessible.
Named after the mountain range it climbs, the funicular brings residents and visitors daily to work, schools and leisure facilities on the slope. Many locals affectionately call it Haifa's subway, though it remains technically a mountain railway.
The railway runs Sunday through Thursday and connects the lower city with the upper residential areas within a few minutes. Visitors can board and exit at any of the six stops to explore different levels of the city.
Two carriages run simultaneously on the same track and meet at a passing loop in the middle of the route. While one carriage rolls upward, the other descends, using the weight of the descending car to save energy.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
