Popular West Hill Lift at Hastings is back in action

The 129 year old West Hill Lift, a funicular railway that opened in 1891, had been closed since July 2019 because it needed work on its main drive wheel.

The wheel was scheduled to be returned to the top station, on Hastings West Hill in February. Unfortunately, that was the day after Storm Ciara, and wind speeds were still far too high for the crane to lift the wheel back in place.

It was eventually lifted into place by a crane in March but then Covid-19 struck and the Council weren’t able to reopen it then.

The lift was one of the first local attractions to re-open in July.

The return of the lift is a greet boost to the town’s visitor economy, which normally supports over 6,000 jobs and generates around £360 million annually.

Pictures, by Kevin Boorman, show the lift arriving at the top station on the West Hill and the first passengers to use it when it re-opened.

See also: Old Town character Dee Day White writes a book about his colourful life