Palm Springs Tramway reopens after closure from electrical damage caused by storm
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway reopened Tuesday after electrical damage from the weekend storm caused it to close on Monday.
Greg Purdy, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Tram, said the problem was not flood-related, but electrical damage to some circuits at the Tramway. Purdy added that crews worked on the issue since it was first noticed, but the reopening was contingent on having the correct replacement to fix the issue.
The closure left us with questions about the process of reopening, so News Channel 3's Matthew Pearce took those questions to Chris Bartsch, vice president of Tramway Systems, who said the tram has a troubleshooting process which started when the tram's own safety system detected a problem, noting the issue surfaced after crews completed their monthly safety tests.
"We were returning the cabins to dock and we got to stop. The system said something's wrong. I'm not going to allow it to go," Bartsch said.
Bartsch says the initial warning pointed them toward the top station. But that didn't necessarily mean the problem was there
We found a damaged wire, which is what sends the signals from cabin to cabin in the control room just to safety circuits, and we also found a damaged circuit board.
He says the system is built to stop when a problem like this is detected, and after that stoppage, crews replace the damaged components before immediately moving to the next step in reopening.
"We've run a dozen trips without incident. We'll run a few more just to make sure we are certain that this problem has been resolved," Bartsch said.
And in terms of the purpose behind it, Bartsch says it's to ensure two things.
"Our intention is to provide a safe and enjoyable trip. There was no real safety issue. It was a fault that was, like I said, from a faulty wire. But if the car stops mid-trip multiple times, it's not enjoyable, especially for people who are already a little anxious about riding the tram," Bartsch said.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more information and check their website for updates before you make the trip.
