62-571: The Peak Tram is a funicular railway in Hong Kong , which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island . Running from Garden Road Admiralty to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels , it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of Hong Kong. Operated since 1888, it was the first funicular railway in Asia . The Peak Tram
124-418: A drive bullwheel – which then controls the movement of the haul rope using friction. Some early funiculars were powered in the same way, but using steam engines or other types of motor. The bullwheel has two grooves: after the first half turn around it the cable returns via an auxiliary pulley. This arrangement has the advantage of having twice the contact area between the cable and the groove, and returning
186-473: A capacity of 120 passengers per tram. By the time of the handover in 1997 , the system carried some 2 million passengers annually. Today, more than 4 million people ride the Peak Tram annually, or an average of over 11,000 every day. Of prior rolling stock, only two 1956 fourth generation all-aluminium cars and one 1989 fifth generation car survive. Two cars, one from both previous generations, can be seen on
248-552: A closure of 14 months, the tram was reopened on 27 August 2022, though tourist numbers in Hong Kong are a fraction of their pre-COVID levels. The Peak Tram is a funicular railway , with the following technical parameters: The building at No. 1 Lugard Road , located next to the Peak Tower and The Peak Lookout , was built about 1927 by The Peak Tramways Co. Ltd. as a workshop, with an additional floor added in 1953 to provide
310-447: A distance of about 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) and an elevation of just under 400 metres (1,312 ft). The line has two pronounced curves, one to the left immediately after leaving the lower terminus, and the other to the right in the upper half of the ascent. The gradient also varies considerably throughout the ascent. The lower terminus station, Central , is located on Garden Road near St. John's Cathedral . The original station
372-594: A disused spur track that led to the former tram depot near the Kennedy Road station. An additional fourth generation car is displayed near the upper terminal, now serving as a Tourism Board Information Center. None of the cars from the first three generations exist, but a replica of the first car is displayed in the Peak Tram Historical Gallery. In view of the continuous increase in the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong, passenger usage of
434-590: A flat for the General Manager of Company. The building is still owned and used by the Peak Tramways Company. It is a Grade III historic building since 2010. 22°16′19.36″N 114°9′17.52″E / 22.2720444°N 114.1548667°E / 22.2720444; 114.1548667 Funicular railway A funicular ( / f juː ˈ n ɪ k j ʊ l ər , f ( j ) ʊ -, f ( j ) ə -/ few- NIK -yoo-lər, f(y)uu-, f(j)ə- )
496-454: A large clock face was added to the edifice probably between the 1910s and 1920s. The Peak Tram was opened for public service on 28 May 1888 by the then governor Sir George William des Voeux . As built, the line used a static steam engine to power the haulage cable. It was at first used only for residents of Victoria Peak . Despite that, it carried 800 passengers on its first day of operation, and about 150,000 in its first year, transported in
558-406: A second cable – bottom towrope – which runs through a pulley at the bottom of the incline. In these designs, one of the pulleys must be designed as a tensioning wheel to avoid slack in the ropes. One advantage of such an installation is the fact that the weight of the rope is balanced between the carriages; therefore, the engine no longer needs to use any power to lift the cable itself. This practice
620-575: A sewage plant at the upper part of the city. Some funiculars of this type were later converted to electrical power. For example, the Giessbachbahn in the Swiss canton of Bern , opened in 1879, was originally powered by water ballast. In 1912 its energy provision was replaced by a hydraulic engine powered by a Pelton turbine . In 1948 this in turn was replaced by an electric motor. There are three main rail layouts used on funiculars; depending on
682-425: A short distance down from the passing loop as well, for the sole purpose of allowing the other car to call at Nebozízek. A number of cable railway systems which pull their cars on inclined slopes were built since the 1820s. In the second half of the 19th century the design of a funicular as a transit system emerged. It was especially attractive in comparison with the other systems of the time as counterbalancing of
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#1732772770594744-440: A system of pulleys at the upper end of the line. If the railway track is not perfectly straight, the cable is guided along the track using sheaves – unpowered pulleys that simply allow the cable to change direction. While one car is pulled upwards by one end of the haul rope, the other car descends the slope at the other end. Since the weight of the two cars is counterbalanced (except for the weight of passengers), no lifting force
806-538: A tunnel 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long, is claimed by the Guinness World Records as the "least extensive metro " in the world. Technically, it is an underground funicular. The Dresden Suspension Railway ( Dresden Schwebebahn ), which hangs from an elevated rail, is the only suspended funicular in the world. The Fribourg funicular is the only funicular in the world powered by wastewater. Standseilbahn Linth-Limmern , capable of moving 215 t,
868-508: A two-rail layout (with a single conduit shared by both cars). Another example is the Peak Tram in Hong Kong , which is mostly of a two-rail layout except for a short three-rail section immediately uphill of the passing loop. Some four-rail funiculars have their tracks interlaced above and below the passing loop; this allows the system to be nearly as narrow as a two-rail system, with a single platform at each station, while also eliminating
930-413: Is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope . The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, which is looped over a pulley at the upper end of the track. The result of such a configuration is that the two carriages move synchronously: as one ascends,
992-412: Is owned and operated by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH), the owner of Hong Kong's Peninsula Hotel along with other properties. The line, along with HSH's Peak Tower leisure complex at the line's summit, is promoted using the brand The Peak . After a lengthy renovation and upgrade project, the Peak Tram reopened on 27 August 2022. The Peak Tram's route from Central district to Victoria Peak covers
1054-426: Is required to move them; the engine only has to lift the cable itself and the excess passengers, and supply the energy lost to friction by the cars' wheels and the pulleys. For passenger comfort, funicular carriages are often (although not always) constructed so that the floor of the passenger deck is horizontal, and not necessarily parallel to the sloped track. In some installations, the cars are also attached to
1116-455: Is said to have the highest capacity. Some inclined elevators are incorrectly called funiculars. On an inclined elevator the cars operate independently rather than in interconnected pairs, and are lifted uphill. A notable example is Paris ' Montmartre Funicular . Its formal title is a relic of its original configuration, when its two cars operated as a counterbalanced, interconnected pair, always moving in opposite directions, thus meeting
1178-975: Is the Fisherman's Walk Cliff Railway in Bournemouth , England, which is 39 metres (128 ft) long. Stoosbahn in Switzerland, with a maximum slope of 110% (47.7°), is the steepest funicular in the world. The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway , built in 1888, is the steepest and longest water-powered funicular in the world. It climbs 152 metres (499 ft) vertically on a 58% gradient. The city of Valparaíso in Chile used to have up to 30 funicular elevators ( Spanish : ascensores ). The oldest of them dates from 1883. 15 remain with almost half in operation, and others in various stages of restoration. The Carmelit in Haifa , Israel, with six stations and
1240-496: Is two rails except for an approximately 400m long section which includes the passing loop. In the downhill direction, the track transitions to three rails just before the start of the upper curve. On the straight below the upper curve it changes to a fairly short four rail section where the two carriages pass each other. The track then reverts to two rails just uphill of the May Road station - this point can be seen looking uphill from
1302-482: Is used on funiculars with slopes below 6%, funiculars using sledges instead of carriages, or any other case where it is not ensured that the descending car is always able to pull out the cable from the pulley in the station on the top of the incline. It is also used in systems where the engine room is located at the lower end of the track (such as the upper half of the Great Orme Tramway ) – in such systems,
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#17327727705941364-638: The Rhine , Mount Vesuvius — and returned to Hong Kong thoroughly convinced of the feasibility of his idea. The actual construction was begun in September 1885 and in May 1888 the line was officially opened. Smith's business partner, N. J. Ede, owned and lived in the house next to the Upper Terminus, originally named Dunheved, which they converted into the original Peak Hotel . It took three years to build
1426-515: The Tünel has been in continuous operation since 1875 and is both the first underground funicular and the second-oldest underground railway. It remained powered by a steam engine up until it was taken for renovation in 1968. Until the end of the 1870s, the four-rail parallel-track funicular was the normal configuration. Carl Roman Abt developed the Abt Switch allowing the two-rail layout, which
1488-782: The University of Toronto and became a barrister in Upper Canada in 1861. Des Vœux became stipendiary magistrate and superintendent of rivers and creeks in British Guiana from 1863 to 1869, where he championed native causes. First stipendiary magistrate in the East Bank Demerara district, he was later transferred to the Upper Demerara-Berbice region, he argued that this transfer was to limit his influence and power on decisions being made in
1550-560: The passing loop ) and the Carmelit in Haifa , Israel (six stations, three on each side of the passing loop). A few funiculars with asymmetrically placed stations also exist. For example, the Petřín funicular in Prague has three stations: one at each end, and a third (Nebozízek) a short way up from the passing loop. Because of this arrangement, carriages are forced to make a technical stop
1612-789: The Colonies in which he detailed many abuses. When the contents of the report were published, there was a great outcry and the Commission of Inquiry into the Treatment of Immigrants was conducted. Des Vœux gave testimony before the commission in Georgetown and its report led to many improvements in the workers' treatment. He reorganised and codified old French system of law when he was the Administrator and Colonial Secretary of St. Lucia between 1869 and 1880. Afterwards, Des Vœux
1674-683: The May Road overbridge. There are four intermediate stops, each of which is a request stop consisting of a single stepped platform and a shelter: In 1881, Alexander Findlay Smith first put the project of a Peak Railway into shape and presented a petition for a concession to the governor of Hong Kong. The necessary legislation was passed two years later. Findlay Smith did not approach the project rashly. Travelling extensively in Europe and America , he made himself conversant with nearly every existing method of railway employed for mountain ascent — San Francisco , Scarborough , Rigi , Monterey , Lucerne ,
1736-473: The Peak Tram. Most of the heavy equipment and rails needed for the construction were hauled uphill by the workers with no mechanical support. As a revolutionary new form of transport for Asia at the time, the tramway was considered a marvel of engineering upon its completion. A wooden structure was built for the terminal. According to photographs, the Garden Road terminus was originally an unadorned building,
1798-613: The Peak together with effectively all the elevated areas of Hong Kong Island from crowded Chinese-style tenements by enacting the European District Reservation Ordinance in November of that year. A year before he left office, the newly established Hong Kong Electric Company began providing electricity to Hong Kong Island. After Des Vœux's time as Governor of Hong Kong ended, he entered retirement. He
1860-500: The available space, also considering re-laying tracks and to renovate the cable car cabins to increase the passenger capacity. At the end of 2015, Peak Tramways Company Limited's right to operate the Peak Tram expired. In the same year, it stated that it planned to spend about HK$ 684 million to launch a development plan to upgrade the Peak Tram system and improve existing facilities. It was implemented in phases and to be completed in 4 to 5 years. The development plan included: The project
1922-414: The cable that runs through the top of the incline is still necessary to prevent the carriages from coasting down the incline. In most modern funiculars, neither of the two carriages is equipped with an engine of its own. Instead, the propulsion is provided by an electric motor in the engine room (typically at the upper end of the track); the motor is linked via a speed-reducing gearbox to a large pulley –
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1984-467: The carriage's wheels during trailing movements (i.e. away from the passing loop); this procedure also sets the route for the next trip in the opposite direction. The Great Orme Tramway is an example of a funicular that utilizes this system. Another turnout system, known as the Abt switch, involves no moving parts on the track at all. Instead, the carriages are built with an unconventional wheelset design:
2046-559: The cars are also equipped with spring-applied, hydraulically opened rail brakes. The first funicular caliper brakes which clamp each side of the crown of the rail were invented by the Swiss entrepreneurs Franz Josef Bucher and Josef Durrer and implemented at the Stanserhorn funicular [ de ] , opened in 1893. The Abt rack and pinion system was also used on some funiculars for speed control or emergency braking. Many early funiculars were built using water tanks under
2108-489: The cars exchanging roles. The movement is controlled by a brakeman using the brake handle of the rack and pinion system engaged with the rack mounted between the rails. The Bom Jesus funicular built in 1882 near Braga , Portugal is one of the extant systems of this type. Another example, the Fribourg funicular in Fribourg , Switzerland built in 1899, is of particular interest as it utilizes waste water, coming from
2170-596: The cars was deemed to be a cost-cutting solution. The first line of the Funiculars of Lyon ( Funiculaires de Lyon ) opened in 1862, followed by other lines in 1878, 1891 and 1900. The Budapest Castle Hill Funicular was built in 1868–69, with the first test run on 23 October 1869. The oldest funicular railway operating in Britain dates from 1875 and is in Scarborough , North Yorkshire. In Istanbul , Turkey,
2232-399: The definition of a funicular. However, the system has since been redesigned, and now uses two independently-operating cars that can each ascend or descend on demand, qualifying as a double inclined elevator; the term "funicular" in its title is retained as a historical reference. William Des V%C5%93ux Sir George William Des Vœux GCMG (22 September 1834 – 15 December 1909)
2294-598: The distinction of being the first funicular in the United States for strictly passenger use and not freight. In 1880 the funicular of Mount Vesuvius inspired the Italian popular song Funiculì, Funiculà . This funicular was destroyed repeatedly by volcanic eruptions and abandoned after the eruption of 1944. According to the Guinness World Records , the smallest public funicular in the world
2356-422: The downward-moving cable in the same plane as the upward-moving one. Modern installations also use high friction liners to enhance the friction between the bullwheel grooves and the cable. For emergency and service purposes two sets of brakes are used at the engine room: the emergency brake directly grips the bullwheel, and the service brake is mounted at the high speed shaft of the gear. In case of an emergency
2418-405: The floor of each car, which were filled or emptied until just sufficient imbalance was achieved to allow movement, and a few such funiculars still exist and operate in the same way. The car at the top of the hill is loaded with water until it is heavier than the car at the bottom, causing it to descend the hill and pull up the other car. The water is drained at the bottom, and the process repeats with
2480-475: The front of the tram were reserved for the governor of Hong Kong , to which was attached a bronze plaque reading: "This seat is reserved for His Excellency the Governor". The seats were not available to ordinary passengers until two minutes before departure. In the course of its history, the tram has been a victim of two natural disasters, caused by floods from heavy rainfall, which washed away steep sections of
2542-411: The line's original wooden-bodied cars. The tram's existence accelerated the residential development of Victoria Peak and the Mid-Levels . From its opening in 1888 until 1926, the Peak Tram divided into three classes: The initial round trip charges, HKD 30 cents (First Class), 20 cents (Second Class) and 10 cents (Third Class), had risen 50 per cent by 1926. From 1908 to 1949, the first two seats in
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2604-525: The main city of the colony Georgetown . He was one of the leading figures (with Joseph Beaumont and James Crosby) against the system of Indian indenture system . Based on his experience in Guiana where he witnessed many instances of cruel and unjust treatment of indentured servants by plantation owners and managers, des Vœux wrote a 10,000-word report in 1869 to Lord Granville , the Secretary of State for
2666-507: The need for the costly junctions either side of the passing loop. The Hill Train at the Legoland Windsor Resort is an example of this configuration. In the case of two-rail funiculars, various solutions exist for ensuring that a carriage always enters the same track at the passing loop. One such solution involves installing switches at each end of the passing loop. These switches are moved into their desired position by
2728-595: The other car has them on the right-hand side, meaning it follows the rightmost rail and runs on the right branch of the loop. This system was invented by Carl Roman Abt and first implemented on the Lugano Città–Stazione funicular in Switzerland in 1886; since then, the Abt turnout has gained popularity, becoming a standard for modern funiculars. The lack of moving parts on the track makes this system cost-effective and reliable compared to other systems. The majority of funiculars have two stations, one at each end of
2790-467: The other descends at an equal speed. This feature distinguishes funiculars from inclined elevators , which have a single car that is hauled uphill. The term funicular derives from the Latin word funiculus , the diminutive of funis , meaning 'rope'. In a funicular, both cars are permanently connected to the opposite ends of the same cable, known as a haul rope ; this haul rope runs through
2852-406: The outboard wheels have flanges on both sides, whereas the inboard wheels are unflanged (and usually wider to allow them to roll over the turnouts more easily). The double-flanged wheels keep the carriages bound to one specific rail at all times. One car has the flanged wheels on the left-hand side, so it follows the leftmost rail, forcing it to run via the left branch of the passing loop; similarly,
2914-576: The renovation of the Peak Terminus and the Garden Road Terminus were complete, with the expansion of the former to cater for the new and larger tram carriage. The project improved the waiting environment, replaced tracks, improved foundations, cable car bridges and other structures. The government stated that the entire development plan invested more than 700 million Hong Kong dollars. Final project costs were $ 799m HKD (£87m). After
2976-417: The same arrangement of boarding and alighting platforms as the lower terminus. The haulage and control equipment for the funicular is located in a basement below the station. The Peak Tram is a single track funicular railway , that is, a railway where a pair of carriages act as counterweights for each other, one going up, the other down. Its passing loop is located uphill from the May Road station. The track
3038-595: The space required for building a funicular, reducing grading costs on mountain slopes and property costs for urban funiculars. These layouts enabled a funicular boom in the latter half of the 19th century. Currently, the United States' oldest and steepest funicular in continuous use is the Monongahela Incline located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . Construction began in 1869 and officially opened 28 May 1870 for passenger use. The Monongahela incline also has
3100-412: The system, the track bed can consist of four, three, or two rails. Some funicular systems use a mix of different track layouts. An example of this arrangement is the lower half of the Great Orme Tramway , where the section "above" the passing loop has a three-rail layout (with each pair of adjacent rails having its own conduit which the cable runs through), while the section "below" the passing loop has
3162-515: The track between Bowen Road and Kennedy Road . The first was in 1899, and the second occurred on 12 June 1966. In 1926, the steam engine was replaced by an electric motor . On 11 December 1941, during the Battle of Hong Kong , the engine room was damaged in an attack. Services were not resumed until 25 December 1945, after the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong . In 1956, the Peak Tram
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#17327727705943224-534: The track. However, some systems have been built with additional intermediate stations . Because of the nature of a funicular system, intermediate stations are usually built symmetrically about the mid-point; this allows both cars to call simultaneously at a station. Examples of funiculars with more than two stations include the Wellington Cable Car in New Zealand (five stations, including one at
3286-424: The tram was increasing by more than one digit percentage every year, especially on Sundays and public holidays. It was taking at least two hours to board; passenger demand far exceeded capacity. By 2012, average daily passenger usage reached 12,000, of which around 90% were tourists. At that period, Peak Tramways Company Limited hired a consultant to study how to improve the Peak Tram terminal and facilities to increase
3348-567: Was a Huguenot from Normandy , France, who settled in Ireland in the early 18th century. Des Vœux attended a public school in London before starting his studies at Charterhouse School (1845–1853) and Balliol College, Oxford (1854–1856), but left without a degree after his father gave him the choice of finishing his degree and becoming a clergyman or seeking his fortune in the colonies. Des Vœux then moved to Canada, where he finished his BA at
3410-467: Was a British colonial administrator who served as governor of Fiji (1880–1885), Newfoundland (1886–1887), and Hong Kong (1887–1891). Des Vœux was born as the eighth of nine children of Reverend Henry Des Vœux and his second wife Fanny Elizabeth Hutton in Baden-Baden , Germany, on 22 September 1834. His grandfather was Irish politician Sir Charles des Voeux, 1st Baronet . His great-grandfather
3472-586: Was appointed Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific from 1880 to 1885. He was appointed Governor of Newfoundland from 1886 to 1887. Des Vœux served as the tenth Governor of Hong Kong from 1887 to 1891. This was the last post he held in the Colonial Services. During his tenure the Peak Tram began operation in 1888, providing relatively affordable transportation for people living on The Peak . Des Vœux segregated
3534-803: Was created a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1893. In 1903, he published his memoirs called My Colonial Service in British Guiana, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Fiji, Australia, Newfoundland, and Hong Kong with Interludes . On 24 July 1875, Des Vœux married Marion Denison Pender, daughter of submarine telegraphy pioneer John Pender and Emma Denison. They had two daughters and five sons, three of whom died in infancy. Des Vœux died in Brighton , England, on 15 December 1909. William Des Vœux's son Henry John (1876-1940), married Dorothy Turner-Farley in 1911. Their son, Lt-Colonel Sir Richard,
3596-504: Was equipped with a new generation of lightweight metal-bodied cars, each of which seated 62 passengers. Unusually for a funicular line, three such cars were provided, only two of which were in use at any one time. The third spare car was kept in a car shed near the Kennedy Road station. The system was comprehensively rebuilt in 1989 by the Swiss company, Von Roll , with a new track, a computerized control system, and two new two-car trams with
3658-418: Was expected to be completed in 2021, during which the construction was divided into two phases. The first phase, which lasted from April 23, 2019, saw the Peak Tram being suspended for 2 to 3 months. The maintenance plan included the extension of the Peak Terminus and Garden Road Terminus, which was completed on July 22 of the same year. After the completion of the first phase of the project, the Peak Tram service
3720-437: Was incorporated into St. John's Building , an office tower, with the tram terminus at the ground level. The station comprises a single track, with platforms on both sides. One platform is used for boarding, the other for exiting the tram. The upper terminus, The Peak , is located below the Peak Tower shopping and leisure complex at Victoria Gap , some 150 metres (490 ft) below the summit of Victoria Peak. The station has
3782-478: Was resumed for about 12 to 15 months. During this period, due to the expansion and renovation of the Garden Road Terminus, passengers used the temporary platform and queue outside the station. The Second phase began on June 28, 2021, with the closure of the line. New tram carriages were installed, with longer bodies, and passenger capacity increased from 120 to 210. At the same time, power and towing systems, rail, control and signal systems and cables were replaced, and
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#17327727705943844-765: Was used for the first time in 1879 when the Giessbach Funicular opened in Switzerland . In the United States, the first funicular to use a two-rail layout was the Telegraph Hill Railroad in San Francisco, which was in operation from 1884 until 1886. The Mount Lowe Railway in Altadena, California, was the first mountain railway in the United States to use the three-rail layout. Three- and two-rail layouts considerably reduced
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