Mon Incline undergoes repairs, testing after nearly 30 passengers were stuck on board
First responders rescued 27 passengers stuck on board the Monongahela Incline in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon, officials said.
Crews safely removed the passengers after the east and west cars "unexpectedly stopped working" during a trip, according to Adam Brandolph, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh Regional Transit. The incline stopped working around 2:25 p.m. when the cars stopped about 40 feet short of their stations.
"It started going up. And as soon as it started to pick up speed, it just stopped," passenger Trevor Graham said. "It just froze."
The five passengers in the west car, the car closest to the upper station, were rescued by 4:20 p.m., and the 22 passengers on the east car were rescued by 6 p.m. A Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire ladder truck was brought in around 5:30 p.m. to help rescue the passengers on the east car faster. At first, ropes were used to bring passengers to safety.
"It was a little bit tenuous," passenger Gary Leikam said.
Emergency crews remained in contact with the passengers during the incident. No injuries were reported.
"It was interesting," Graham said. "I didn't think my day would turn out the way it did."
Brandolph said crews tried to "restart" the Mon Incline "a few times" before removing the passengers.
"I want to extend my deepest thanks to the first responders - paramedics, firefighters, and police officers - who helped get these riders to safety," PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said in a news release. "I also want to apologize to the riders who were inconvenienced today and thank them for remaining calm in a high stress situation."
Incline repairs completed; testing underway
In an update on Monday afternoon, Brandolph said repairs to the Monongahela Incline are complete and testing is underway; however, the incline is expected to remain closed at least through the end of the week.
PRT determined that one of the motor controllers failed on Saturday afternoon, leading to the incident. The motor controllers "regulate the speed, stopping, and starting of the incline's motors."
The motors, also known as drives, rotate the pulleys that move the incline cables, which move the cars. Crews replaced the drive on Monday and will be running test trips throughout the week.
For riders hoping to enjoy the historic incline, they were turned away on Monday.
"We wanted to ride it," Brian Kearsley, of Idaho, said. "Disappointing. We were hoping to ride it up and get the view and get the experience of it."
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety will inspect the incline before it reopens, PRT confirmed.
Until it reopens, Pittsburgh Regional Transit will utilize shuttle buses from the bus stop at Station Square to the incline's upper station.
The Mon Incline, which opened in 1870, is the oldest continuously operating funicular railway in the U.S. It underwent a multi-million dollar upgrade in 2023, but still has faced troubles, including multiple closures in 2024.
First responders attend training exercises to prepare for emergencies on the Mon Incline.