Monongahela Incline

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

The Monongahela Incline came to an unexpected stop with 29 passengers trapped inside on Saturday, Nov. 1, Pittsburgh Regional Transit officials announced.

The incline’s cars stopped working around 2:25 p.m., roughly 30 feet from the upper and lower stations, according to a spokesperson. Fire rescue and other emergency crews responded to assist those stranded on the steep Mount Washington tracks.

Twenty-four passengers were aboard the east car, which was closest to the lower station, while five were on the west car near the upper station. Officials said all five passengers in the upper car were safely rescued by 4:18 p.m., and crews began helping those in the lower car around the same time. No injuries were reported.

The agency attempted a “hard reset” before deciding to remove the passengers manually. “Emergency crews remain in contact with those on board, and everyone has indicated they’re doing OK,” the spokesperson told the press.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit has since closed the incline and is running shuttle buses from the bus stop behind Station Square to the Mon Incline Upper Station.

The incline has experienced multiple service issues in recent years. It was shut down in late September for scheduled maintenance to replace its haul and safety cables — each capable of supporting 175,000 pounds — and has faced several temporary closures since a multimillion-dollar overhaul in 2023.

First opened in 1870, the Monongahela Incline remains the oldest continuously operating funicular railway in the United States.