A Brief History Of Wellington's Cable Car

Wellington’s Cable Car is an iconic fixture cherished by locals and visitors alike. It is New Zealand’s only functioning funicular railway and holds a special place in the capital’s history. In brief, here’s how the Cable Car made in its mark in its homeland.

Wellington as a thriving colonial city

The 1890s marked Wellington’s first half century. At the same time, the young capital was experiencing a mass surge in population – becoming the fastest-growing city in the entire country. Its expanding workforce was eager to live close to the busy commercial sectors around Lambton Quay, however, houses in the area were quite scarce. Housing was even harder to find uphill from the city centre, with sparse farming settlements and large scrub areas being notable barriers for building. By 1898, the Upland Estate Company was formed and its directors quickly began working on providing transport facilities for their proposed subdivision, in what is now known as Kelburn. Thus, the Kelburn and Karori Tramway was born and work on a new cable tram network commenced.

The Cable Car in its earliest days

From there, the funicular transport system continued to flourish. By 1912, the Cable Car’s annual patronage had increased to one million trips. In 1933, electricity replaced the steam-powered winding gears. Tensions rose in the 1940s as the Council established its public bus systems, with Kelburn and Karori Tramway accusing local authorities of running these networks in direct competition to the Cable Car. A Supreme Court case about the matter ensued and the Council agreed to settle by purchasing the company. On February 1947, the Kelburn and Karori Tramway company was dissolved and further upgrades continued to be given to the cars until the 1970s, when local government decided to invest in a fully automated system.

The new Cable Car system

On 22 September 1978, the old cable cars made their final circuit. A year prior, Swiss company Habegger AG was awarded the contract for the proposed renovations. On 20 October 1979, the new cable car station was ready and it consisted of a new tram line, brand new cars, upgraded winding systems, track re-gauging and control systems. The Cable Car had to be upgraded once again in 1987, after technical difficulties led to the dwindling of passenger numbers. By the 1990s, the Wellington Cable Car Limited company took over operations and is still in charge of running the funicular network today.

The Cable Car’s original winding house is now home to Wellington’s Cable Car Museum. Interestingly, the building stayed vacant from 1978 until the year 2000, despite being registered as a Heritage New Zealand historic site in the early 1990s. The contemporary cable car continues to operate from downtown to Kelburn and remains a popular, budget-friendly mode of transport for those wanting to explore the Botanic Gardens and surrounding areas.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.