Wellington’s Cable Car will be back in service from this Saturday 8 August after its annual maintenance shutdown.

To celebrate, the Cable Car is offering half-price Adult and Children return tickets this weekend (8-9 August) when purchased online at www.wellingtoncablecar.co.nz .

Wellington Cable Car Company Chief Executive Cesar Piotto says the month-long shutdown has allowed the company to recondition critical assets – especially the structures under the carriages to which the wheels and axles are attached – called bogies.

The bogies have been comprehensively reconditioned by local engineering company ACME.

Mr Piotto says that since they went into service in 1979, the Cable Car carriages have each travelled nearly 600,000 kilometres. “That’s 15 times around the globe - this maintenance work is timely and, it should keep them going for another few laps.”

The work has been captured on video and released through the Cable Car’s social media channels:

Video One – The What, Why and How?

https://youtu.be/2sq33HQbElE

Video Two – Journey of the Cable Car Bogie

https://youtu.be/v5eS1xCMBeU

Video Three – Release Thursday 6 August.

Mr Piotto says it’s been a tough few months for the Cable Car since the country went into lockdown for the pandemic. “Like so many other organisations we’ve been significantly impacted by closed international borders, and the Cable Car stopped running for nearly eight weeks.

“Thanks to strong support from Wellingtonians, passenger numbers are starting to come back up – and it’s great to see that a lot of people from other parts of the country are getting on-board. We might have lost our cruise ship visitors for the foreseeable future – but it’s great that New Zealanders are visiting Wellington and enjoying the Cable Car.”

While The Cable Car has been operating on reduced hours – finishing at 7pm – operational changes have just been announced to coincide with the re-opening.

The Cable Car is extending its current operational hours. It will move to a seasonal operating model – with longer hours in summer to take advantage of daylight hours and more stable weather. The changes will align with ‘daylight saving’ – with summer hours starting on Sunday 27 September and reverting to winter hours from 4 April 2021.

From Sat 8 August, Cable Car winter hours will be:

Monday - Friday - 7:30am - 8pm

Saturday - 8:30am - 8pm

Sunday and public holidays - 8:30am - 7pm.

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