Table Mountain cableway is closing in mid-July for maintenance

The Table Mountain aerial cableway will be closed from mid-July for extensive maintenance. The cableway will shut down for seven weeks to replace the track ropes to which the cable car is attached.

TABLE MOUNTAIN CABLEWAY CLOSURE DETAILS AND CAUTIONARY INFORMATION

Managing Director Wahida Parker announced that the shutdown will start on 15 July 2024 and will last until 2 September 2024. The maintenance is necessary for passenger safety and to adhere to international standards. It will be the longest overhaul since the upgrade of the popular Cape Town tourist attraction in 1997.

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) said that in addition to the cableway, the commercial outlets will also not be open. This includes the shops and restaurants at the upper and lower stations.

Cape Town residents should expect early morning helicopter activity on and around the mountain. Helicopters will carry heavy machinery up the mountain in separate trips. Workers will assemble the machinery components at the top of the mountain to use in the Table Mountain cableway maintenance work.

WILL I STILL BE ABLE TO HIKE?

Hikers will still have access to the mountain. However, hiking trails directly under the pathway of the cables will not be open due to safety reasons. Hikers should bear in mind that there will be no cable car trips, so they will have to hike up and down. Thus hikers should be mindful of changing weather conditions. Hiking is at your own risk.

“We know that this is your beloved mountain as it is ours. We know that you love to hike, you love to enjoy the mountain. Unfortunately for those seven weeks, we are going to appeal to you to use alternate hiking routes. South African National Parks has produced a beautiful map to direct you to all the other hiking trails that you can access. And the reason for this is to manage risk.”

Managing Director Wahida Parker

WHAT DOES THE WORK ENTAIL?

The work will be carried out in co-operation with a team of experts from the original equipment manufacturer in Switzerland.

Technical executive Andries de Vries explained that they will replace all four of the 1.5km-long track rope cables. This will be the first full cable replacement since the 1997 revamp. In this revamp, TMACC introduced a Swiss cableway system with two rotating cable cars. Each of these cable cars can carry 65 passengers. The cable cars that operated before 1997 could carry 28 people each.

“We rigorously inspect and service every aspect of the cableway, ensuring consistent alignment with international best practice and the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) specifications.”

Technical executive Andries de Vries

WILL I STILL GET A FREE BIRTHDAY TICKET FOR THE CABLE CARS?

Yes! If your birthday falls within the maintenance period, you can collect your birthday tickets during the month of September 2024. To claim this ticket, you have to take your valid SA ID document, driver’s licence, or birth certificate (that includes an SA ID number) to prove that you celebrated your birthday during the seven-week shutdown period.

For those who have cable cards that give card holders year-round access to Table Mountain, TMACC will add an extra seven weeks on to its validity. This only applies to cable cards that are valid during the maintenance period.