cable railway

noun

1. a railway on which the cars are pulled by a moving cable under the roadway.

cable railway

noun

1. a railway on which individual cars are drawn along by a strong cable or metal chain operated by a stationary motor

Word History and Origins

Origin of cable railway¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

A family in the U.K. has one of the country’s smallest funicular railways – a type of cable railway system on an incline – at their home.

From Fox News

Today, the only such manually operated cable railway in the world is, of course, in San Francisco, where 27 single cars propel no trailers.

From Seattle Times

This cable railway was abandoned in the 1970s but recently reopened.

From The Guardian

The funicular, or cable railway built on an incline, has a storied past.

From Los Angeles Times

Once a buzzing, wealthy suburb with its own cable railway, it is now pockmarked with shuttered businesses and boarded-up homes.

From Washington Post