funicular
/fjʊˈnɪkjʊlə
/ /fəˈnɪkjʊlə/adjective
1(Of a railway, especially one on a mountainside) operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced.The enormous growth of tourism in the Alps means funicular railway and cable car operators seek to transport far more visitors than their operations were originally intended for....
- I could have descended the hill by funicular railway, only there seemed little point queueing to squeeze myself into an overcrowded carriage for the one minute journey.
- A funicular railway scales the mountain to the jumping-off point for the sledge run, which winds five kilometres downhill back to the railway terminus.
2Relating to a rope or its tension.
noun
A funicular railway.Tourism minister Mike Watson was under pressure last night to scrap restrictions on the new Cairngorm mountain railway which prevent walkers getting on or off the funicular at the top of the mountain....
- Is it conceivable that the funicular will impact on Hayes's tourist traffic?
- The ride itself ‘on one of the widest funiculars in the world’ takes seven minutes with a single upload of 120 standing passengers, whisking its clients from 2,100 feet to Ptarmigan Station at 3,600 feet.
Origin
Mid 17th century (in the sense 'of or like a cord or thread'): from Latin funiculus (diminutive of funis 'rope') + -ar1.