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Funicular

Cliff railways and funiculars

Britain has around a dozen working funiculars, most of them Victorian, most of them beside the sea. In Hastings, Scarborough and Aberystwyth they are genuine daily transport that saves a long climb rather than a novelty, and they are priced accordingly — usually a pound or two, often cash only, almost always seasonal.

Serves
Hastings, Scarborough, Aberystwyth, Lynton, Bridgnorth
Operator
Various councils and private operators
Opened
1875
Lines
12
Fares by
Flat fare per ride, set by each operator
Cliff railways and funiculars — Funicular

Photo: Lobster1 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Ticket options

Typical single

£2.00

Best for Saving the climb

Most charge between £1.50 and £3.00 for a one-way ride.

Hastings East Hill Cliff Railway

£3.00 return

Best for The Old Town and country park

The steepest funicular in the United Kingdom, at a gradient of about 1 in 1.28.

Aberystwyth Cliff Railway

£5.50 return

Best for Constitution Hill

The longest funicular in Britain, opened 1896, with a camera obscura at the top.

Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway

£5.00 return

Best for North Devon

Entirely water-powered since 1890 — the tanks fill at the top and empty at the bottom. No electricity is used to move it.

Cairngorm Mountain Railway

£21.00 return

Best for The Cairngorms

Britain’s highest railway and its only mountain funicular, reopened after major structural repairs.

Fares checked September 2026. Confirm on the operator’s own fares page before you buy.

How to pay

  • Cash at most of them, card at the larger ones
  • No smartcards, apps or through ticketing anywhere
  • Several are council-run and included on local attraction passes

Concessions

  • Under 5s usually travel free.
  • Child rates are typically around half.
  • Several are free to local residents holding a council leisure card.

Worth knowing

  1. Most run only from spring to autumn, and several close in bad weather. Do not rely on one as your route home.
  2. Scarborough has two working lifts — the Central Tramway of 1881 and the Spa lift — plus the remains of three more.
  3. Bring coins. Several are still cash only, including some of the best ones.
  4. Bournemouth’s cliff lifts have been affected by landslips and the Folkestone Leas Lift has been through a long restoration, so check current status locally.

Photos

East Hill Cliff Railway, Hastings
East Hill Cliff Railway, Hastings Les Chatfield from Brighton, England · CC BY 2.0
West Hill Cliff Railway, Hastings
West Hill Cliff Railway, Hastings Les Chatfield from Brighton, England · CC BY 2.0
Central Tramway, Scarborough
Central Tramway, Scarborough Stephen McKay  · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway
Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway Rosser1954 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bridgnorth Cliff Railway
Bridgnorth Cliff Railway mattbuck (category) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Common questions

How much is a single on the cliff railways?
The cheapest single listed is £2.00 (Typical single).
What do children pay on the cliff railways?
Under 5s usually travel free.