PEAK TRAM

Description

Essentials about the Peak Tram in brief

A ride on the Peak Tram is a real experience and a must-do activity on a trip to Hong Kong. The Peak Tram is a funicular railroad on Hong Kong Island that runs from the Central district to the Victoria Gap side peak of Victoria Peak, the local mountain of Hong Kong Island. Incidentally, it is the steepest cable car in the world. The seven-minute ride on the Peak Tram takes you past skyscrapers and you experience the impressive Hong Kong skyline and bustling Victoria Harbour from a variety of angles. With over four million passengers per year, the Peak Tram is one of Hong Kong’s most popular attractions.

The history of the Peak Tram

Historically, the Peak Tram dates back to Alexander Findlay Smith, who proposed the project in 1881 and applied for a concession to operate a funicular railroad. Construction finally began in 1885. In order to be able to realize the technically demanding project, Smith undertook a trip around the world in the run-up to construction and surveyed other railroads such as the San Francisco Cable Cars, the Rigi Railway in Switzerland and the Drachenfelsbahn in Königswinter, Germany, all of which had to cope with similar gradients. In 1888, the Peak Tram was formally opened by the British Governor of Hong Kong.

Originally powered by a stationary steam engine, the streetcar was considered a technical masterpiece and enjoyed great popularity among Hongkongers from the very beginning. On the very first day, 800 passengers used the streetcar; in the first year of operation, the number was 150,000. The Peak Tram served mainly the residents of Victoria Peak and greatly promoted the settlement of the slope below. In 1926, the streetcar was electrified and the original three-class seating system was abolished.

The route of the Peak Tram

The Peak Tram is a classic funicular railroad. The line is single-tracked, but has a switch in the middle so that the uphill and downhill cars can pass each other. The 1,365 meter long line manages a difference in altitude of 368 meters. The gradient varies considerably in individual sections, with the steepest having a gradient of 48% – corresponding to an angle of about 26°. There are four intermediate stops along the route, which operate on the principle of “stop on request”.

The mountain station of the Peak Tram

At the top station of the Peak Tram is the Peak Tower, one of Hong Kong’s most architecturally striking buildings, from whose observation deck you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the sea of skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, with Victoria Harbour in between. By the way, if you want to get more detailed information about the Peak Tram, you will find an exhibition with memorabilia of the history of the funicular in the Peak Tower.