Hastings West Hill Cliff Railway (or Lift) is a funicular railway that dates from 1889. Itis unusual in that for most of its 150 metre length it operates in a tunnel. It is perhaps the nearest working example to Bristols entirely undergound Clifton Rocks Railwyay. The wooden carriages are believed to be the original Victorian ones.
A gradient of 33% takes passengers up 52 metres to the cliff tops. Each of the two cars carries 16 passengers. The first operator went bankrupt in 1894, possibly as a result of construction delays and cost overrun. The Hastings Passenger Lift Company took over and operated the line until 1947, when Hastings Borough Council bought the line. It was converted to electric operation in 1971.
