Odessa Funicular


The Odessa Funicular, serves the Ukrainian city of Odessa. Running alongside the Potemkin Stairs, it connects the Primorsky Boulevard with the Port of Odessa.
Despite what its name suggests, in its modern state the Odessa Funicular is not technically a funicular, but rather a double inclined lift. The system was built by the "Skylift" from Kiev.

History

The funicular was designed by the engineer N. I. Pyatnitsky and opened on 8 June 1902. It was equipped with two passenger cabins for 35 persons each delivered from Paris.
In 1969 the original system was replaced by a cascade of escalators, which had to be closed in 1997.
Then in 1998, the city council decided to restore the service, this time in a form of an inclined elevator. Construction started in the same year, but they were delayed until 2005, and the ropeway was reopened on 2 September 2005.
On 27 September 2016 it has temporarily interrupted the service due to repairs to the Potemkin Stairs.

Route

Located in the old town, the central city district, the line starts at the Primorsky Boulevard, in which lies the upper station, that is close to the Opera Theater. The line and ends at Primorska Street, by the Black Sea coastline. The lower station, "Morsky Port", lies in front of the city port and is next to the port's railway station.
Originally built with a single track and a passing loop in the middle, it has now two metre gauge tracks, and runs for, alongside the Potemkin Stairs and the Stambulsky Park. Each car has capacity for 12 passengers and the ride takes 3.5 minutes.

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