'People Stuck' On Mountain Waiting For Tramway Repairs In Palm Springs

Palm Desert CA

06 May, 2022

8:41 PM

Description

PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway shut down for two hours Friday due to a mechanical issue. Nobody was injured or stranded on the tram, however, officials say that "hundreds" were stuck at the top of the mountain during the service suspension as they awaited a way down. The tram ascends 6,000 ft in the San Jacinto Mountains and has been part of local history since 1963. While it is a thing of enjoyment, wind, weather and mechanical issues do cause problems from time to time. Tramway spokesman Greg Purdy told The Desert Sun the issue happened at 1:24 p.m. One of the cars was docking into the Valley Station at the bottom of Mount San Jacinto when the mechanical issue occurred. Tram workers halted the aerial service while crews investigated the issue. The tramway was up and running again at about 3:45 p.m. No one was on the tram car when the system shut down, but Purdy told the paper "hundreds of people" were stuck at the top of the mountain during the incident. The tram would continue running until 9:30 p.m. to ensure everyone is brought back down the mountain, he said, estimating that it would take about 10 trips to clear the crowd from the mountain top. People love the tram ride, as @MeganCamp said this week ovder Twitter. It's like a tram ride into a "totally different world." The cause of the issue was still under investigation.