Funicular dos Guindais

The Guindais Funicular is a funicular railway in the civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, Portuguese municipality of Porto.HistoryThe original line was inaugurated on 3 June 1891. Almost 2 years later, on 5 June 1891, there was an accident caused by excess velocity, and the funicular car was decommissioned.The former "House" of the funicular railway was by 1993 occupied by an atelier operated by sculptor Henrique Moreira. It was later remodelled to function as a meeting hall for local Jehovah's Witnesses.As part of a larger initiative to improve the transport infrastructure of Porto, a new funicular and station was inaugurated on 19 February 2004, following the same line as before.ArchitectureThe funicular is situated along the wall of Freiras, running down a steep cliff between the quay at Guindais and Rua da Batalha .Owned and operated by the Porto Metro, the single-track funicular uses a central loop system that is 281m long, allowing it to descend 61m, with the upper 90m situated within the passenger tunnel, with the markedly steep gradient in the section below the passing loop. Two vehicles run the course, with a capacity for 25 persons each, operating at a maximum speed of 5m/s. Due to the difference in slope along the line, the cars have self-levelling platforms, allowing the car floor to maintain itself horizontal no matter the track incline. Although the journey is short after emerging from the upper tunnel, passengers are able to view the landscape from the Dom Luís I Bridge, the river margins