The history

The Wellington Cable Car has been part of the city’s story for more than 120 years. Originally operated by the Kelburn & Karori Tramway Company, formed in 1889, the line officially opened in 1902 to help connect the growing hillside suburb of Kelburn with the Wellington CBD. The company was later sold to the Wellington City Council in 1947 and became part of the city’s passenger transport network.

In 1979, the original wooden red cars were retired and replaced with the larger modern fleet that are still operating today. Visitors can still step back in time at the Cable Car Museum, located at the top of the Cable Car journey, where two of the original cars have been carefully preserved alongside the original winding machinery room that once powered the system.

Following the deregulation of the bus industry in 1991, Wellington City Council sold its bus and trolleybus operations to the Stagecoach Group. The Cable Car and overhead trolleybus wire network remained in Council ownership, with Wellington Cable Car Limited established as a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO). Today, the little red cars continue to carry locals and visitors up the hill, blending heritage, engineering, and Wellington charm into one iconic journey.

The engineering

The Wellington Cable Car is the last historic funicular railway in New Zealand, using a unique counterbalance system where two cars are permanently connected by underground cables and move in opposite directions along the steep hillside. Combining over a century of history with modern engineering, the system is designed to provide safe, smooth, and reliable journeys between the city and Kelburn every day.

The Cable Car also uses regenerative braking technology to improve energy efficiency across the network. As the cars slow down, or when more passengers are travelling downhill than uphill, the system generates electricity, which is exported back into the local power network as a distributed generator. This helps reduce energy consumption and wear on braking components, supporting the long-term sustainability of the little red cars.

Behind the scenes, our engineering and maintenance teams carry out daily, monthly, and annual inspections to ensure the ongoing safety and reliability of the cars, cables, tracks, and operating systems. Key components, including the haul rope, bogies, gripper brake, and mechanical systems, are regularly tested, serviced, and repaired. Each year, the Cable Car also undergoes an annual maintenance shutdown, where services pause for at least one week to complete larger-scale engineering works that cannot be carried out during normal operations.

The tunnel lights

Our tunnel light shows are one of the Wellington Cable Car’s most iconic and talked-about features, transforming the ride into an immersive experience of light, colour, and movement. Originally launched as a temporary installation in 2014, the display became a permanent attraction following overwhelming public support and now features 45,000 LED lights across both the middle and top tunnels.

Today, the lights continue to delight locals and visitors alike, while also providing a platform to celebrate public holidays, community events, charities, and local causes throughout the year. For the best view, look uphill from the Cable Car landings or nearby station platforms as the lights travel through the tunnels.

Community and identity

The Wellington Cable Car has been part of the city’s story for generations, carrying locals, commuters, students, and visitors up the hill since 1902. For many Wellingtonians, the little red cars are more than just transport; they’re tied to memories, routines, milestones, and family traditions passed down through generations. From grandparents sharing stories of riding the Cable Car as children to today’s passengers introducing it to the next generation, the Cable Car continues to hold a special place in the city's heart.

We’re proud to use our platform to support the Wellington community through collaborations, events, and local initiatives that bring people together. Whether it’s celebrating community organisations, supporting causes such as Blind Low Vision NZ through initiatives like our Dogs of the Cable Car Calendar, or helping shine a light on important campaigns and events through our tunnel light displays, we love finding ways to connect the cars with the people and stories that make Wellington unique.

We also recognise the importance of protecting both our environment and the historic landscape the Cable Car travels through. From energy-efficient engineering systems such as regenerative braking to carefully planned maintenance and infrastructure works, we take a conscious approach to reducing our environmental impact while preserving the heritage and character of the hillside surroundings. In 2022, bird-friendly dots were installed on the Kelburn Terminal windows to help reduce native bird strikes, reflecting our ongoing commitment to creating a safer environment for Wellington’s local wildlife while the Cable Car operates.