funicular railway

American  

noun

1. a short, very steep railway having two parallel sets of tracks, upon each of which runs a car or train raised or lowered by means of a cable that simultaneously lowers or raises the other car or train in such a way that the two are approximately counterbalanced.

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Etymology

Origin of funicular railway

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

funicular railway

Most regular guests arrive by the lengthy winding mountain road, or by catamaran from Lucerne followed by a spectacular funicular railway, 929 metres long and rising 434 metres.

From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026

The project, next to the historic Angels Flight funicular railway, is in De León’s district, and it may not receive the go-ahead from City Hall without his support.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2022

Two cars operate on the funicular railway, each with a capacity of 40 passengers.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2022

Ride the 131-year-old funicular railway from the Lower Terminus to Victoria Peak, a mountaintop on Hong Kong Island.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 19, 2019

And she went, in an hour, down to Montreux by the funicular railway, and was lost to the Beau-Site.

From The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five Towns by Bennett, Arnold