The funicular (FUN) is a ropeway whose cabins, hauled by a rope, roll on rails and move back and forth between two stations. Either the cabins roll on different railways or they share the same railway that includes a crossing section at the middle of the course. In this case, the cabins are equipped with lateral guide wheels that ensure each cabin is always on the same side of the railway in the crossing zone.

The hauling rope runs on rollers fit between the rails.

There are two technologies:

• The rope is rolled up on a winch in the uphill station. The winch rolls and unrolls the rope in turn. Most of the time there is only one cabin on this type of installation.
• The hauling rope is moved via a drive sheave. When the drive sheave is in the downhill station, or to improve adherence between the hauling rope and the drive sheave, a ballast rope is used to connect the cabins together in a loop.

The funicular’s cabins have their own braking device that acts on the rails in addition to brakes in the driving station that can stop the rope.

Funicular of Paris (Montmartre)