Saltburn Tramway will be open for holidays, council says

The Saltburn tramway connects Foreshore to Marine Parade

A popular Victorian cliff lift will be open full time for the summer holidays, a council has confirmed.

The water-balanced funicular Saltburn Tramway has only been open on sporadic days since the pandemic.

Redcar and Cleveland Council said it would be closed for "several weeks" due to staff training after the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

The 1884-built lift would be "operating every day in time for the school summer holidays", the council pledged.

Saltburn councillor Philip Thomson said: "It's very sad for residents and visitors that such an iconic part of Saltburn's history has stood idle for so long and continues to be limited in its opening hours.

"Well over a million pounds has been invested in the facility in recent years, part of which resulted from poor maintenance and neglect, although no man-made structure erected in Victorian times will last forever."

A council spokesman said the lift was one of the "region's most iconic tourist attractions" and attracted more than 150,000 people a year when fully open, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

He said: "Due to staffing issues we have not been able to run seven days a week so far, but new colleagues have now been appointed and are being trained and it is expected the tramway will once again be operating every day in time for the school summer holidays. 

"Modern safety systems have to be used which means that occasionally it must be temporarily closed for checks and maintenance."