HASTINGS West Hill Lift reopened on Friday after being closed for nearly a year due to maintenance.

The lift, a funicular railway which first opened in 1891, took longer to reopen than expected due to supply problems.

Kim Forward, Council leader of Hastings Borough Council said that passenger safety was the biggest priority after the lift closed last October.

The Argus: The first passengers on the lift, Lorenzo, Tom and Sistina Rossi-Flint.The first passengers on the lift, Lorenzo, Tom and Sistina Rossi-Flint.

She said: “The work took far longer than expected. The lift is 129 years old, and still uses the original carriages, so maintaining it is a very specialist area.

“Our original contractor was unable to carry out the work as planned and we also had to have parts shipped from America.

“It is very disappointing not to have been able to open earlier, but, obviously, passenger safety is of the utmost importance and everything had to be checked by engineers.

“We completed the final recommissioning works on Thursday afternoon and I am delighted that we were able to reopen Friday morning.

"We had passengers using the lift again as soon as we reopened it, including visitors from Eastbourne and Gloucester on the very first journey, which is great.”

The Argus: The lift takes you up to Hastings Castle.The lift takes you up to Hastings Castle.

The lift provides access to Hastings Castle and Smugglers Adventure from George Street, as well as offering views of the Old Town and towards Beachy Head from the top of the hill.

Cllr Forward added: “The lift is also popular with residents who live on the West Hill. So we are sure that the lift will quickly become very popular again.”

The lift is open seven days a week from 10.00am until 17.30pm until October 31. Their winter opening times are seven days a week with slightly reduced hours of 11.00am until 16.00pm.

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