Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Wales Llandudno Great Orme Tramway

Great Orme Tramway

One of the few surviving street funiculars in the world.

Llandudno, Wales

Added By
Alan Newman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The tramway.   AHEMSLTD
The Great Orme Tramway.   David Dixon
The Great Orme Tramway.   David Dixon
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Trams passing   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Car number 6 arriving at the Summit Station.   David Dixon
At Victoria Station.   Gerald England
Lower section.   Dr Neil Clifton
Halfway station, in 1967, before the refurbishment.   Dr Neil Clifton
Refurbished Halfway station.   David Stowell
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This unusual funicular is the United Kingdom’s only surviving cable-operated street tramway, and one of the few street-running funiculars in the world.

The line is actually made up of two sections. Each part is a separate funicular, so passengers must change cars at the halfway station. The upper section runs on its own dedicated track off the road, whereas the lower section runs right along the street. 

The tramway was built in 1902 to ferry passengers and freight to and from Llandudno, Wales, and the summit of the Great Orme, a 679-foot-tall limestone headland that currently forms part of a nature reserve.

Originally, there were seven cars: three for freight and four for passengers. The historic passenger cars, which were each named after a local Welsh saint, are amazingly still in use today. But as for the freight cars, those were deemed uneconomical and were retired from service in 1911.

At one time, the Tramway was used to cart coffins to the Halfway Station for burial at St. Tudno’s Churchyard. Unfortunately, the company that owned the tramway didn’t show any financial mercy toward the bereaved. Mourners were charged full fare, plus an equivalent of 12.5 pence for transporting the coffin.

Related Tags

Funicular Transportation Infrastructure

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, Collector of Experiences, rbenn250, Gavin

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Collector of Experiences
  • rbenn250
  • Gavin

Published

May 14, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Great Orme Tramway
4 Old Rd
Llandudno, Wales
United Kingdom
53.327228, -3.835558
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Alice in Wonderland Town Trail

Llandudno, Wales

miles away

The Great Orme Copper Mines

Llandudno, Wales

miles away

Great Orme Summit Complex UFO Room

Llandudno, Wales

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Llandudno

Llandudno

Wales

Places 3

Nearby Places

Alice in Wonderland Town Trail

Llandudno, Wales

miles away

The Great Orme Copper Mines

Llandudno, Wales

miles away

Great Orme Summit Complex UFO Room

Llandudno, Wales

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Llandudno

Llandudno

Wales

Places 3

Related Places

  • Stuttgart, Germany

    Stuttgart Cable Car

    This old wooden funicular railway leads to a cemetery in the forest.

  • Bridgnorth Cliff Railway.

    Bridgnorth, England

    Bridgnorth Cliff Railway

    This charming railway is one of the oldest and steepest funiculars in England.

  • The Holborn Viaduct as seen from Farringdon Street.

    London, England

    Holborn Viaduct

    London’s first road overpass is so old that it was originally built for horse-drawn carriages.

  • he River Westbourne flows above the station in a large iron conduit.

    London, England

    Sloane Square Tube Station

    One of London's lost rivers runs through a pipe over the tracks of this subway station.

  •  The statue of James Henry Greathead with a bus passing on one side.

    London, England

    Statue of James Henry Greathead

    This statue of one of the engineers who created the London Underground hides a ventilation shaft for the tube lines that run under the street.

  • Chattanooga, Tennessee

    Bench Avenue

    When local government began removing public benches, the public pushed back, and vibrant, community-built seating now outnumbers the official shelters at Chattanooga bus stops.

  • Funicular de Guanajuato

    Guanajuato, Mexico

    Funicular de Guanajuato

    Take in a sweeping views of Guanajuato—and save yourself a hike up a steep hill—on this funicular.

  • Genoa, Italy

    Principe-Granarolo Funicular Railway

    Although called a funicular by both its owner and the locals this historic railroad is actually a rack and pinion system.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.