Editing Cairngorm Mountain Railway (section)

==History==
=== Construction ===
Construction of the Cairngorm Mountain Railway started in 1999 and it opened on 24 December 2001 (forty years after the opening of the White Lady [[Chairlift]], which it replaced). The construction was initiated because the chairlift was too sensitive to the strong winds in the area. The track is a [[broad gauge]] of {{track gauge|2000mm}}. The maximum operating speed is {{convert|10|m/s|km/h mph|abbr=on}} during the ski season and {{convert|5|m/s|km/h mph|abbr=on}} the rest of the year. At these speeds, the trip takes about four minutes in winter and nine minutes during the summer (calculated without middle station stops). The single track line has a [[passing loop]] just above the middle station. During ascent, the maximum gradient is 23° (1 in 2.5, or 40-per cent [[Grade (slope)|inclination]]). The railway starts at the Base Station in the Coire Cas area, where there is a restaurant, shop, ticket office, hire shop, rangers' office and Disability Sport UK office. The Scottish Ski Club has a building close to the middle station.

At peak times there can be 150,000–160,000 non-winter sports visitors, combined with a further 50,000–120,000 annual sports visitors during the winter.<ref name="parl">{{cite web|last1=Butcher|first1=Louise|title=Railways: Cairngorm Funicular Railway|url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00176/SN00176.pdf|website=Parliament Research Briefings|publisher=House of Commons Library |date=13 April 2010 |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref><ref name="audit">{{cite web|title=Review of Cairngorm funicular railway – Audit Scotland|url=https://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/publications/review-of-cairngorm-funicular-railway|website=Audit Scotland|publisher=Scotland's Auditor General |date=8 October 2009|access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> CML can expect to cater to 1,000 visitors per day in the summer months.<ref name="grough">{{cite web|last1=Smith|first1=Bob|title=Cairn Gorm funicular to allow walkers on to mountain|url=http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2010/07/07/cairn-gorm-funicular-to-allow-walkers-on-to-mountain|website=Grough Magazine|accessdate=15 January 2017}}</ref>

The railway is {{convert|8|mi|disp=flip|abbr=on}} from Aviemore and can be reached travelling along the [[B970 road|B970]] and C38 roads to [[Glenmore Forest Park|Glenmore]]. From Glenmore, a route is taken through the snow gates{{Clarify|date=March 2009}} and via a one-way system past Coire na Ciste for approximately {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on}}. The Base Station is at an altitude of approximately {{convert|635|m|abbr=on}} above sea level, the middle station is at approximately {{convert|765|m|abbr=on}} and the top Ptarmigan Station is at approximately {{convert|1097|m|abbr=on}}.

The total length of the funicular railway track is {{convert|1970|m|abbr=on}}, during which the route rises by {{convert|462|m|abbr=on}}. Most of the route is single track, with a short passing loop near half way. Up to 120 standing passengers can be carried in each of the system's two carriages.<ref name=lworld>{{cite web | url = http://www.seilbahntechnik.net/lifte/1220/datas.php | title = Lift-Database : Inverness (Cairngorm) | publisher = Lift-World.info | accessdate = 26 February 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223538/http://www.seilbahntechnik.net/lifte/1220/datas.php | archive-date = 27 September 2007 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref> The train is fully accessible for wheelchair users and both the Base Station and Ptarmigan Station have lift access to all levels.

Depending on wind direction, wind speed trend and weather forecast, the trains can operate in winds of {{convert|60|to|75|mph|-1|disp=flip|abbr=on}}. As the train approaches the top station it enters a {{convert|250|m|ft|adj=on|abbr=on}} long cut-and-cover tunnel taking it up to the top platform hidden in the hillside.

The funicular railway operates by 'hauling' up one carriage using electric motors to pull the haul rope as the other carriage descends at the same time. The system is powered by two stationary in series 500&nbsp;kW electric motors, a gear box and a 'soft start-soft stop' control system which can increase the electrical frequency and vary the current and voltage to control the carriage speeds as they approach or leave a station. A hydraulically operated 'counter' rope is connected to both carriages to maintain haul rope tension. The two carriages are permanently connected by the haul rope and the counter rope and can never operate independently.

The funicular railway system is normally operated from a staffed control room within the Ptarmigan building, but can also be operated from the Base station control room or from each railway carriage. There are dedicated sophisticated computer control, instrumentation, communication and safety systems for the railway which have a range of back up systems and there are also standby generators and manual back up systems for moving the carriages.

During the ski season, skiers are asked to stay within the designated ski area {{Vague|date=March 2009}} and climbers and hill walkers are not allowed to use the railway to travel uphill. The railway operators have agreed, in conjunction with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), to operate a formal visitor management plan to protect fragile areas of the mountain environment. This means that for conservation reasons, the public is not allowed to access the mountains during the summer season from Ptarmigan building. However, walkers who have climbed the hill themselves may purchase a downhill ticket at the Ptarmigan building for travelling back down to Base. There are no middle station stops or exits during the summer.

On 29 November 2018, it was announced that the railway had been placed into [[Administration (law)|administration]]. Blair Milne, one of the administrators, cited that the company had become "unsustainably loss-making" after an extended closure in October 2018. Natural Retreats, the previous owners since 2013, released a press statement saying the firm still had "potential".<ref>{{cite news |title=CairnGorm Mountain company placed into administration |work=BBC News |date=29 November 2018 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-46389488 |accessdate=29 November 2018}}</ref> That hope did not come to fruition and the company owed £2m.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-47638092 |title=CairnGorm Mountain: Where did the money go? |first1=Fiona |last1=Walker |first2=Stephen |last2=Magee |work=BBC Scotland |date=22 March 2019 |access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref>

=== Closure ===
The closure of the Cairngorm Mountain Railway funicular was due to "health and safety concerns" and "structural problems" according to reports in summer 2019. At the time, an engineering investigation was still underway to determine whether modifications would be "achievable and affordable", according to its then-owner, the Scottish government's Highlands and Islands Enterprise which also owns Cairngorm Mountain ski centre.<ref>{{cite news|url=
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-48557182|title=Cairngorm funicular has a future if repairs 'achievable'|work=BBC News |date=7 June 2019 |access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/1796283/the-return-of-james-bond-filming-is-giving-the-highlands-a-licence-to-thrill/ |title=The return of James Bond filming is giving the Highlands a licence to thrill |work=The Press and Journal |first=Alistair |last=Munro |date=15 July 2019 |access-date=11 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cairngormmountain.co.uk/funicular-railway-maintenance/ |title=Funicular Railway Operations |publisher=Cairngorm Mountain |date=17 September 2018}}</ref> The final findings of the consultants, SE Group, were released in July 2019, but a decision on how to proceed had not yet been made at that time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hie.co.uk/regional-information/area-information/inner-moray-firth/cairngorm.html |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202060050/http://www.hie.co.uk/regional-information/area-information/inner-moray-firth/cairngorm.html|archive-date=2 December 2019|title=Feasibility assessment and strategic plan - Cairngorm Mountain |publisher=Highlands and Islands Enterprise |access-date=11 January 2021}}</ref>

=== Reinstatement and closure===
On 14 October 2020, the Scottish Government announced more than £16m would be spent on the reinstatement of the funicular railway as part of a £20m project.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/2554462/popular-cairngorm-funicular-to-be-reinstated-after-20million-funding-boost/ |title=Popular Cairngorm funicular to be reinstated after £20million funding boost |work=The Press and Journal |first1=Stan |last1=Arnaud |first2=Alistair |last2=Munro|date=9 October 2020|access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref> The programme of engineering works commenced in early November 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/article/work-begins-to-reinstate-cairngorm-funicular |title=Work begins to reinstate Cairngorm funicular |date=3 November 2020|work=Scottish Construction Now |access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref> The works were completed late in 2022 and the railway resumed on 26 January 2023. It was closed again on 25 August 2023, when scarf joints installed during the remedial works were found to be out of tolerance.The railway again opened to the public on 27 February 2025, before shutting again less than three months later, from 12 May 2025 to 2 June 2025, for three weeks maintenance work which included work on the concrete viaduct. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/no-timescale-for-cairngorm-funicular-to-become-operational-again-due-to-complex-repairs-23-02-2024/ | title=No timescale for Cairngorm funicular to become operational again due to 'complex' repairs | date=23 February 2024 }} </ref> <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hie.co.uk/latest-news/2024/april/15/update-on-cairngorm-funicular-remedial-works/ | title=Update on Cairngorm funicular remedial works }} </ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-02 |title=Cairngorm funicular railway to close for maintenance |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6dz738215o |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>