Funicular de Sant Joan

A view of the length of the Sant Joan funicular, from the monastery

Cars of the Sant Joan funicular

The Funicular de Sant Joan (Catalan pronunciation: [funikuˈɫar ðə ˈsaɲ ʒuˈan], "Saint John Funicular railway") is a funicular railway at Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The line connects the monastery, and the upper terminus of the Montserrat Rack Railway, with sacred sites, walking trails and viewpoints higher up the mountain. With a maximum gradient of 65%, it is the steepest funicular in Spain.^[1]

The funicular has the following technical parameters:^[1][2]

• Length: 503 m (1,650 ft)
• Height: 248 m (814 ft)
• Maximum steepness: 65.2%
• Cars: 2
• Capacity: 60 passengers per car
• Configuration: Single track with passing loop
• Travel time: 6 minutes
• Track gauge: 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in)
• Traction: Electrical

The line is operated by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government Railways, FGC), who also operate the Montserrat Rack Railway and the Funicular de la Santa Cova funicular railway on Montserrat Mountain, together with two other funicular railways and a significant suburban railway system in and around Barcelona.^[1]

The line was originally built in 1918, and modified to increase capacity in 1926. In 1986 it passed to the FGC, who modernised it in 1997, providing new panoramic cars with transparent roofs.^[1]

References

1. Green, Richard (September 2010). "The railways of Barcelona". Today's Railways Europe (Platform 5 Publishing Ltd). p. 32.
2. "Lift-Database : Montserrat : San Joan". Lift-World.info. Retrieved March 5, 2007.

External links

• Official website of the Montserrat Rack Railway and associated funicular railways (in Catalan, Spanish, English and French)
• Photographic description and map of the line from Trens de Catalunya (in Catalan)

Coordinates: 41°35′19.27″N 1°50′0.03″E / 41.5886861°N 1.8333417°E