Inaugurated on December 24, 1884, the first tram

Tram

A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

way in Bogotá

Bogotá

Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...

was pulled by mules and covered the route from Plaza de Bolívar and San Diego, and in 1892 the line linking Plaza de Bolívar and Estación de la Sabana started operating. The original tramway ran over wooden rails but since it easily derailed steel rails imported from England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 were later installed. In 1894 a tramway car ran on the Estación de la Sabana to Chapinero line every twenty minutes.

In 1910 the system was replaced by an electric tram. The electric system was expanded and operated on four lines.
The riots of April 1948, known as Bogotazo

Bogotazo

El Bogotazo refers to the massive riots that followed the assassination in Bogotá, Colombia of Liberal leader and presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán on April 9, 1948 during the government of President Mariano Ospina Pérez...

, caused the destruction of several tram vehicles. The tramway provided services up to 1952 when was it was replaced by buses.

Aerial tramway

The aerial tramway

Aerial tramway

An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...

 or cable car

Cable car

A cable car is any of a variety of transportation systems relying on cables to pull vehicles along or lower them at a steady rate, or a vehicle on these systems.-Aerial lift:Aerial lifts where the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable:...

 to Monserrate

Monserrate

Monserrate is a mountain that dominates the city center of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It rises to above the sea level, where there is a church with a shrine, devoted to "El Señor Caído" .The hill is a pilgrim destination, as well as a tourist attraction...

 began its construction on August 13, 1953 and was inaugurated on September 27, 1955; in a bicable modality with two cabins that transport 40 passengers each. It was built in 1955, and has two cabins each for 40 passengers. The 880 m journey is travelled in 7 minutes, with a magnificent view over the downtown of the city. On top, there is a shrine in a church, a fine dining restaurant and smaller tourist attractions.

Funicular

The Funicular

Funicular

A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...

 to Monserrate is a tramway used for going from the city level (2962 m above sea level) to the top of the Hill of Monserrate (3152 m). The funicular transports daily the inhabitants of the capital and tourists; it was finished in 1928 and inaugurated officially on August 18, 1929. Since that time, this small train has slowly ascended towards the peak of Monserrate, in a parsimonious way that allows its passengers the contemplation of nature and landscape that is being left behind as they reach the 3,152 meters above sea level, where its superior station lies.

In December 2003, the funicular initiated a new phase with a more modern design in its cars, that now open their doors to the sky with a crystal ceiling, so that nobody can lose a single detail of the forests that surround the city, the beautiful panoramic view and beautiful sunsets.
In its trip of only 4 minutes, the cable car rises with its big windows on its sides, offering a great view of the hill that makes contrast with the beautiful panoramic of the city. The dense vegetation of the high trees tops leave us a sensation of direct bonding between earth and sky.

See also

• Bogotá Metro proposal
• Bogotá Savannah Railway
  Bogotá Savannah Railway
  The Bogotá Savannah Railway was a company that provided transport for passengers from 1889 between the cities of the Metropolitan Area of Bogotá...
  
  
• Train for the vicinities of the city of Bogotá
  Train for the vicinities of the city of Bogotá
  The train for the vicinities of the city of Bogotá is an infrastructure project for the construction of a mass, rapid transport system to communicate Bogotá with its surrounding cities...
  
  
• Tramways of Panama
  Tramways of Panama
  Tramways or trams started service in Panama City in 1893 and lasted, with interruptions, until 1941. Passenger rail tranport in Panama dates back to the 1850s when the first transisthmian railroad line across Panama was beginning to be built to supply an alternate route to California in search of...
  
  

External links

• The Tramways of Bogota – It presents 22 photographs of the tramway.
• The Funicular up Monserrate in Bogotá – Photographs of the Aerial tramway and Funicular
• Data about the funicular
• Time line - Public transport service in Bogotá - 22 pages, photographs and videos.