Odessa Funicular

Odessa Funicular
(Одеський фунікулер)
Overview
Type Funicular
Locale Odessa, Ukraine
Coordinates 46°29′18.2″N 30°44′31.9″E / 46.488389°N 30.742194°E / 46.488389; 30.742194Coordinates: 46°29′18.2″N 30°44′31.9″E / 46.488389°N 30.742194°E / 46.488389; 30.742194
Termini Morsky Port (lower station)
Prymorsky (upper station)
Stations 2
Operation
Opened 1902[1]
Technical
Line length 142 metres (466 ft)
Track gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)

The Odessa Funicular (Ukrainian: Одеський фунікулер; Russian: Одесский фуникулёр), sometimes also known as the Potemkin Funicular, serves the Ukrainian city of Odessa. Running alongside the Potemkin Stairs, it connects the Prymorsky Boulveard with the Port of Odessa.[1]

History

The history of the funicular began in 1841, with the opening of the Potemkin Stairs on this route. The funicular itself was designed by the engineer N. I. Pyatnitsky and opened on 8 June 1902. It was equipped with two passenger cabins of 35 persons from Paris. After being replaced in 1969 by escalators, which had to be closed in 1997, the city coucil decided to restore the cable car in 1998. Construction started in the same year, but they were delayed until 2005, and the ropeway was reopened on 2 September 2005.[2] On 27 September 2016 it has temporarily interrupted the service due to repairs to the Potemkin Stairs.[3]

Route

Located in the old town, the central city district, the line starts at the Prymorsky Boulveard, in which lies the upper station ("Prymorsky Bulvar", 46°29′17.0″N 30°44′29.9″E / 46.488056°N 30.741639°E / 46.488056; 30.741639), that is 200 m far from the Opera Theater.[4]

Originally built with a single track and a passing loop in the middle, it has now two metre gauge tracks,[1] and runs for 142 metres (466 ft), alongside the Potemkin Stairs and the Stambulsky Park. Each car, similar to an incline elevator, allows 12 passengers and the ride takes about a minute.[1][4]

The line and ends at Prymorska Street (Prymorska Vulitsya), by the Black Sea coastline. The lower station ("Morsky Port", 46°29′19.3″N 30°44′34.1″E / 46.488694°N 30.742806°E / 46.488694; 30.742806) lies in front of the city port and is next to Odessa Port railway station.[4]

The lower station and the Potemkin Stairs 
The upper station 
The port seen from the funicular 
View of a car (1) 
View of a car (2) 
The Potemkin Stairs and, in the upper left corner, the upper station 

Literature

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Odessa Funicular on the Odessa City Guide
  2. ↑ (Russian) Odessa Funicular at odessatrolley.com
  3. ↑ "Odessa Funicular Ceases Work". The Odesa Times, 27-9-2016
  4. 1 2 3 163286009 Potemkin Stairs (and the adjacent funicular) on OpenStreetMap
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