Baku funicular: past, present and future

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

A funicular is a mountain railway equipped with cable traction. To prevent the cars from rolling back, a gear rack is installed between the rails. Funiculars are used wherever it is necessary to move passengers, and it is impossible to do this by any other mode of transport. Most often, this type of lifts is equipped in tourist areas with mountainous terrain. There is also a funicular system in Baku.

A bit of history

In Soviet times, the capitals and major cities of all Union republics were in demand among the country's tourists. To make the city even more attractive to travelers, the authorities came up with all sorts of tricks.

In the middle of the last century, the head of Baku was Alish Lemberansky, who was not indifferent and loved his city. It was he who gave the idea to build a cable-rail lift. Alish Avakovich Arakelov was appointed chief designer. The fact that the lift is still in operation testifies to how well the work was done. The cars for the project were ordered at one of the plants in Kharkov.

The Baku funicular has become one of the technical marvels. It started functioning in 1960. To ride the lift, they cametravelers from all over the country.

Years of oblivion

At first, the lift was in incredible demand: it was not only a transport, but also a means of entertainment, until that time still unknown. But over time, the excitement subsided, and by the beginning of the 90s, the Baku funicular stopped working and fell into disrepair. Moreover, even the territory of the lift was closed. For a long 10 years, the mountain train was forgotten.

But at the beginning of the new millennium, the executive authorities of the city, represented by Hajibala Abutalibov, decided to change the situation. A major overhaul was carried out at the facility, and by the New Year 2002, the residents of the city received a surprise in the form of a lift that was working again. Again on holidays and weekends it was full of people, but on weekdays it was quiet and almost empty, except for the rare couples in love who wandered in search of solitude.

New life

The funicular in Baku hasn't changed a bit over the years. It still consisted of a couple of wagons, which, however, had a completely different appearance - the consequences of the trend of modern design. In addition, the design is equipped with new booths and rails, hardware stuffing. The shape of the roof has also changed - now it has become curved so that snow masses and ice do not linger on its surface. And at night, the roof is illuminated, which serves as an additional incentive for passengers. The only thing that does not suit them is that the road is too short. But this drawback is easy to change - you can ride the Baku funicular as much as you want: the fare has been canceled.

The second revival of the city train experienced during the preparations for the "Eurovision-2012". Now glass Swiss trailers are running along the line. Everyone who rides in them has a breathtaking view of the Caspian Sea and coastal landscapes.

Today the ski lift is considered the main attraction of the city and occupies a worthy place among the city's attractions. A new urban mining train modernization project is currently being implemented. Its goal is to revive mountain transport by expanding infrastructure. If earlier there were only ticket offices and platforms, now it is planned to build food points. Cafeterias, bars, restaurants - that's not all. It is planned to build entertainment zones here primarily for children and teenagers. But this, according to the city authorities, will not end there. This is just the beginning.

How to get there

You don't have to look for a place where the mountain train is located - it is located in the city center. The main sights of Baku are concentrated nearby, so a trip on such a unique transport can be combined with a visit to significant architectural monuments and places of the city. You can take a taxi to get to the mountain train station. The fare is about 640 rubles (25 manats). But it is better to check the cost in advance - there are no meters in Baku taxis.

More options:

1. Metro. The cost is 7 rubles. (0, 15 manats).
2. Bus. The fare is 11 rubles. (0.25 manat).
3. Route taxi. The fare is the same as on the bus.

Features of the mode of operation

The Baku funicular operates constantly, including holidays, from 10 am to 10 pm. At the same time, 26-28 people are placed in the booth. Since the travel time is quite short - a little over 4 minutes, a mountain train carries about 2,000 passengers in 12 hours of operation. In a second, the tool overcomes 2.5 meters. The total length of the road is 455 m. It has only one branch and, so that oncoming funiculars can pass, a siding point is equipped on the highway.

But the Baku funicular is most in demand on weekends: both visitors and locals enjoy using this type of transport to be able to admire the beauty of the city and visit the city embankment without making any special efforts.