of , overcame that of the lower car. When the car reached the bottom station the tank was emptied and pumped up to a tank on the top of the upper station. Between 1943 and 1944 the system was rebuilt to use electricity, with an official re-opening on 9 May 1944 by Mayor T.C. Pembro – who had taken office only 2 hours previously. In 1955 the original heavy wooden cars were replaced by the 'up-to-date' stronger and lighter () aluminium monocoque ones still in use today. Each car can carry up to 18 passengers. The rails were replaced in about 1972 with the bullhead design formerly used on mainline railways. Current situation A vital part of the town's infrastructure, the railway operates 362 days a year (it is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day). Each journey takes about 1 and a quarter minutes, and on an average day approximately 200 trips are made. As of return tickets cost £2.00 with discounts available for groups of 15 or more. Single tickets are not available. The line has the following technical parameters: Length: Height: Maximum Steepness: 64% Cars: 2 Capacity: 18 passengers per car Configuration: Double track Track gauge: Traction: Electricity Operation: Manually driven from upper station The railway is owned and operated by a private company, The Bridgnorth Castle Hill Railway Company Limited, which was incorporated on 5 October 1891. The current owners, who acquired the company and cliff railway in 2011, are direct descendants of George Croydon Marks' third cousin, all being descended from one Nicholas Jonas (later Jones) of Tawstock near Barnstaple, north Devon. Other descendants of Jonas were the brothers Tom and Bob Jones, who founded Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway, which was also engineered by the Marks brothers. On 10 January 2013, the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway was featured in an episode of the fourth series of Great British Railway Journeys; when presenter Michael Portillo interviewed the company's secretary. On 1 August 2015 Sir Robert McAlpine Bt unveiled a Transport Trust Red Wheel plaque at the cliff railway's top station commemorating Sir George Croydon Marks. A director of Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway, and one of his sons, being distant cousins of both Marks and the current Bridgnorth directors, were present. Also present for the unveiling were Edward Marks' grandson and other descendants. In June 2017, three weeks before the 125th anniversary of