Kakola Funicular

Kakola Funicular
Kakola funicular arriving at Linnankatu
Overview
Owner	The City of Turku
Locale	Turku, Finland
Coordinates	60°26′28.64″N 22°14′42.29″E
Termini	Linnankatu 55b (lower station) Graniittilinnankatu 3 (upper station)
Stations	2
Service
Type	Inclined lift
History
Planned opening	2018[1]
Opened	24 May 2019 (2019-05-24)[2][3]
Technical
Track length	0.130[3] km (0.081 mi)
Operating speed	7 km/h (4.3 mph)

The Kakola Funicular (Finnish: Kakolan funikulaari; Swedish: Kakolafunikularen) is an inclined lift in Turku, Finland.^[4] The lift has been in operation since 2019.^[1][5] Despite its name, the Kakola funicular is not a true funicular, as it does not have a human operator^[2] nor a second carriage as a counterweight. It is the first outdoor inclined lift in Finland.^[3]

The lower station

The upper station

Interior of the carriage

Technical problems

The funicular has suffered from numerous technical difficulties throughout its lifetime, with downtimes extending sometimes to weeks.^[6] On average it has suffered a problem of some sort every six days, and been halted a total of 130 times during the first two years of its operation.^[7] Because of its excessive downtimes and technical problems, the funicular has gained the nickname "jumikulaari", a portmanteau of "jumissa" ("stuck") and "funikulaari" ("funicular").^[8]

References

1. "Funikulaarin avajaiset siirtyvät toukokuun lopulle – osa työstä jouduttu teettämään uudelleen". Turun sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-20.
2. "Turun funikulaari onkin vinohissi". Tekniikka&Talous (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-20.
3. "Funikulaari". Turku.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-20.
4. "Funicular". Turku.fi. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
5. "Kakola Funicular Stations". Finnish Architecture Navigator. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
6. "Turun funikulaari liikkuu taas! Rinnehissi ehti olla poissa käytöstä 23 päivää". Yle uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-20.
7. Mikael Piippo (2021-07-09). "Bergbanan i Åbo krånglar stup i kvarten" (in Swedish). Hufvudstadsbladet.
8. "Turun funikulaari täyttää kaksi vuotta – kysyimme turkulaisten mielipidettä "jumikulaarista", joka hajoaa keskimäärin joka kuudes päivä". Yle uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-20.