CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – After months of waiting, the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is officially back open.
The Incline is one of Chattanooga’s most visited attractions, offering a scenic climb to the top of Lookout Mountain.
During its seven-month closure, teams worked to improve safety and maintain the century-old track structure.
We asked Charles Frazier Cartas CEO what makes the Incline so special.
Here is what Frazier told News 12:
“Well the incline is a very unique asset. It is the steepest vernacular in North America at the steepest .72.7 grade. It’s also the longest vernacular, a full mile long, so if you haven’t ridden it, I definitely recommend that you get out here.”
The recent fire didn’t damage the incline, but it did test CARTA’s emergency plans.
Officials say brush-clearing efforts helped stop the flames.
Ensuring that all was good to go when day 1 of the Incline Railway resurgence arrived.
We caught up with some of the first riders of the new and improved incline railway who had this to say.
Joel Cilio & Ashley Tarvin, Riders of Reopened Incline Railway, told News 12 that:
“We want to go back to the incline because we want to get on it since it caught on fire. We were very anxious to see it since we’ve been waiting for it to reopen. It’s one of our favorite activities to do in town is ride the incline so we have been anxiously awaiting it to reopen.”
The incline is fully operational, and ridership is already picking up.
CARTA says more fire prevention upgrades are on the way, including a pipe system that will emit water or foam working to ensure the safety of the railway’s future.
The Incline is now open daily, with CARTA urging visitors to come ride and enjoy the view.
