ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – After announcing their closure in January of this year, Sandia Peak Tramway officials said they’re just one month away from opening back up with some new updates to their tram.
“It’ll be totally different how the tram is operated,” said Michael Donovan, general manager for the Sandia Peak Tramway. “There have been some upgrades to the system over the years, but this is a big leap forward in technology, and much more reliable.”
Over the last month, tram officials said they have been busy putting in new driving systems and added that passengers can anticipate a somewhat quicker ride to the top of the mountain and back down.
“It’ll actually go up slightly faster,” explained Donovan. “We anticipate trip times being around 14 and a half minutes.”
The operating system is also changing. Whereas operators used a physical dial in the past, it now will be controlled from a touch screen. With all the new upgrades, they’re now able to keep track of more information about how well the tram is running and keep tabs on weather conditions.
“[We’ll] be able to monitor any deficiencies in areas and be able to address them more proactively,” Donovan explained.
Tram officials said they still need to conduct a few more tests but are about ⅔ through the upgrading process.
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“Our engineers and the forest service and everything will come out and oversee some of the testing so that we can get reopen to the public,” Donovan added.
As of Saturday, they claimed to be on track to open on March 14.
