FUNICULAR ,REACHING NEW HEIGHTS. by PEE-WEE
Hop aboard the funicular and you?ll be whisked away on a scenic trip to the view site near the old Cape Point lighthouse. Over time, the means of transport to the view site changed from a diesel bus, named after the ?Flying Dutchman? ghost ship, to an environmentally friendly funicular ? the only one of its kind in the world.
The funicular has been in use since December 1996. It can transport 600 people per hour at peak periods, with maximum safety and minimum impact on the environment.
The funicular travels the same route that the Flying Dutchman bus did years ago, in order not to disturb the natural slopes. The design for an electrically powered funicular railway was proposed by Concor Holdings. It is unique in design and geometry, and the first commercial funicular railway of its kind in Africa.
The entire funicular has been produced from South African resources. 27 different safety features ensure practical and safe operation 24 hours a day.
There are two funicular cars which travel from the parking lot to the view site, just below the lighthouse. Each can carry 40 passengers, and runs on the 585 m long track, which curves vertically and horizontally.
The construction of the funicular was a huge challenge for the engineers, as the original Flying Dutchman had travelled along a single track