A funicular... In the Paris region? If this means of transport is particularly popular in ski resorts or in certain high-rise cities such as Porto, there was also one in the Hauts-de-Seine department, near Meudon. Called the Bellevue funicular, it was in service from 1893 to 1935.
In 1891, Meudonnais financiers Paul Houette and Gabriel Thomas set up the Société Anonyme du Funiculaire de Bellevue to build a funicular elevator linking the Bateaux Parisiens landing stage to Bellevue. Put into service in 1893, the funicular proved popular with the general public: just two years later, in 1895, over 266,000 passengers had used it. It wasn't until 1917, in the midst of the First World War (1914-1918), that the company owning the funicular had to suspend operations until 1919. In the years that followed, passenger numbers fell steadily, with the funicular finally operating only on Sundays and public holidays in 1933. In 1935, the Bellevue funicular ceased operations altogether.
A very small-scale reproduction of the funicular can be seen in the collections of the Musée des Transports Urbains de Chelles.
The Musée des Transports Urbains, a dive into the history of our transport system in Chelles (77).
What were the first metro trains like? What did public transport look like 150 years ago? Immerse yourself in the history of urban transport at the dedicated museum in Chelles (77). Are you ready? [Read more]
The Musée des Transports Urbains, a dive into the history of our transport system in Chelles (77).
