Wellington Cable Car Ltd also owns the overhead wires for Wellington's trolleybuses. The Cable Car is owned and operated by Wellington Cable Car Ltd, owned by Wellington City Council. In the mornings and evenings, it is used by commuters travelling between Kelburn and the city at other times of the day, it is used by people travelling between the city and the Wellington Botanic Garden, by students attending Victoria University and living in nearby student hostels, and by many tourists, especially during summer. The Cable Car is used by slightly under a million people each year. Each car weighs approximately 13.5 t (13.3 long tons 14.9 short tons) when empty and 21 t (20.7 long tons 23.1 short tons) when full. The normal operating speed is 18 km/h (11.2 mph) (5 m/s or 16.4 ft/s), with a maximum passenger load of around 100 (30 seated, 70 standing). The cars are designed to fit the grade, using internal steps to provide horizontal floors. Wheels on the south side of car 1 and the north side of car 2 have double flanges, while the opposite wheels on each car have no flanges, directing the cars to the correct side of the mid-way passing loop at Talavera. The Cable Car is a funicular rather than a true cable car: the cars are permanently attached to the cable, which stops and starts as required, while a cable car grips and releases a continuously-moving cable. A 185 kW 550 V DC motor at the top of the hill drives the pulley. They are attached to each other by a 30 mm diameter cable, supported by 120 rollers, which runs round a pulley at the top of the hill. The Cable Car has two cars, which start from opposite ends of the line and pass in the middle. Except for the lowest part the line rises at a constant grade of 1 in 5.06 (17.86 % or 10.13 degrees), through two tunnels and over three bridges. The only curves are at the passing loop in the middle, at Talavera station. The line consists of 628 metres (2,060 ft) of mostly straight 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3⁄ 8 in) metre gauge single track with pine sleepers. The Wellington Cable Car is widely recognised as a symbol of Wellington. The one way trip takes approximately five minutes. The Wellington Cable Car is a funicular railway in Wellington, New Zealand, between Lambton Quay, the main shopping street, and Kelburn, a suburb in the hills overlooking the central city, rising 120 m (394 ft) over a length of 612 m (2,008 ft).
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