The first funicular of Lugano was built in 1886 to link the old center of the town to the railway station on the top of the hill.

It is only 220 meters long. Originally the bottom station was in the middle of the Piazza Cioccaro. Since that days the line was shortened and now the bottom station is at the first floor of the next building of Piazza Cioccaro.

The top station is the FFS train station. The funicular is completely integrated into the station, it emerges as a another platform with a connection with platform 1.

In 1997 the Azienda municipale ACTL was transformed into a public company Trasporti pubblici luganesi (TPL) SA.