Wyler Aerial Tramway, once a soaring passageway into the skies above El Paso, may once again transport those adventurous enough up Ranger Peak after a 6-year closure. Recently reported in the El Paso Times, the project will be split into three phases. The first phase, already approved and funded, will bring improvements to the tramway base, followed by a new visitor center, and finally a new tramway because the original is no longer be usable. It may take many years for completion, but the first steps to get the aerial tramway underway again has seemingly begun.

A brief history of the aerial tramway: 

1959: Aerial tramway was built to carry workers and materials up to the KTSM towers high on Ranger Peak. At the time, it appears that the tramway had a good distance between its base of operations and the city (not the same could be said today!)

(El Paso Times, January 30, 1960)

From 1960 to January 1986: the tramway was open to the public and a must for anyone living in or visiting El Paso to experience.

(El Paso Times, February 23, 1974)

January 1986: Unfortunately, due to increased maintenance costs and a hefty $1 Million increased insurance policy, the tramway had to shut the tram doors and cease operations, hopeful to one day open again.

(El Paso Times, February 19, 1986)

March 10, 2001: The newly named Wyler Aerial Tramway reopened to the public on a (not so surprisingly) windy day.

(El Paso Times, March 11, 2001)

September 2018: Once again, the aerial tramway makes the difficult decision to shut the doors, this time due to an engineering analysis conducted that found it was no longer suitable for public use. 

The tramlines, it's station high on Ranger Peak, and even signs along the road still remind those that there was once a tramway that took generations high into the skies of El Paso.

For information like this and more, visit the Border Heritage Department where we hold vertical files on important local topics such as the aerial tramway. These files contain items such as newspaper clippings, pamphlets, booklets, and so much more!