How many funicular railways are there in the UK?

There are over 40 funicular railways in the United Kingdom dating back to the 19th century, many of them still in operation and open to the public.



As of early 2026, there are approximately 15 to 20 operational funicular railways across the United Kingdom, many of which are historic "cliff lifts" located at seaside resorts. Notable examples include the East Hill Lift in Hastings (the UK's steepest), the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway (the world's highest water-powered funicular), and the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway in Shropshire. Others can be found in Scarborough, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, and Southend-on-Sea. While several others exist in a "preserved" or non-operational state (such as the Clifton Rocks Railway in Bristol), the active lines continue to serve as both vital public transport and popular tourist attractions. These railways are prized for their Victorian engineering and offer a unique, slow-paced way to navigate steep coastal terrain while enjoying panoramic views of the British shoreline, with most now accepting modern contactless payments for ease of use.

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The technical marvel will delight guests of all ages: the Stoosbahn reaches a gradient of 110% (47 degrees). It is the steepest funicular railway in the world. What's really fascinating is that the spherical cabins adapt to the gradient perfectly. This enables passengers to stay upright at all times.

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The Fisherman's Walk Cliff Lift in Bournemouth, UK, is only 39 m (127 ft 11 in) in length, making it the shortest funicular. Built in 1935 by Borough Engineer F P Dolamore, the system travels on a 1.77-m-gauge (5-ft 10-in) railway track with a 45-degree incline.

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The oldest funicular railway operating in Britain dates from 1875 and is in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

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The world's steepest funicular climbs 1,700 meters from the Schlattli base station in the canton Schwyz in Switzerland to the car-free ski resorts at the Stoos summit station.

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“Funitel” is a portmanteau of the French words “funiculaire” and “téléphérique”. A defining feature of a Funitel is that each cabin has two arms extending from its roof and these arms attach to two cables. A Gondola or Aerial Tram cabin only has one arm, attached to one cable.

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The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over 9,289 kilometers (5,772 miles), it is the longest railway line in the world.

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The Pilatus Railway (German: Pilatusbahn, PB) is a mountain railway in Switzerland and the steepest rack railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48% and an average gradient of 35%.

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The Middleton Railway is the world's oldest continuously working railway, situated in the English city of Leeds. It was founded in 1758 and is now a heritage railway, run by volunteers from The Middleton Railway Trust Ltd.

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