Juneau’s Goldbelt Tram Stays Closed After Employee Injuries

Juneau’s Goldbelt Tram remains closed with no reopening date after an April 30 accident in which a tram car carrying five employees entered the lower terminal too quickly and stopped violently, sending two workers to the hospital. The Mount Roberts attraction is sold as a shore excursion by major cruise lines calling in Alaska’s capital during the 2026 season.

The closure was first expected to last through the May 2-3 weekend, then was extended through May 24, and has now been left open-ended while repairs, inspections and recertification continue. No cruise passengers were aboard at the time of the incident, and Goldbelt officials have said the tram will not resume carrying guests until it is certified safe to operate.

Accident under investigation

Five Goldbelt Tram employees were in the car on the night of the incident when it arrived at the base station faster than expected and made an abrupt stop. Capital City Fire Rescue responded, stabilized the cabin and removed everyone onboard. All five employees sustained minor injuries; two were transported to the hospital, including one who was briefly knocked unconscious, and both were later released.

“It came in faster than anticipated, so it was just docking at a higher rate of speed,” Ben Moorhead, the tram’s director of operations and facilities, said after the incident. Moorhead has been working with the lift manufacturer on repairs while the cause remains under investigation.

The incident also damaged infrastructure at the upper and lower stations while both tram cars were in operation. Goldbelt has not publicly confirmed the cause or the full extent of the damage.

Cruise excursion exposure grows as Juneau traffic builds

The Goldbelt Tram is located next to Juneau’s downtown cruise docks and carries visitors on a roughly six-minute ride up Mount Roberts, rising about 1,800 feet above the harbor. The two-cabin, double-reversible system opened in 1996, with each cabin holding 60 passengers and hourly capacity listed at up to 1,050 passengers.

Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and other brands routinely sell the tram as a standalone shore excursion or as part of combined Juneau tour products. Princess and Carnival have also offered versions pairing the tram with other area attractions, including Mendenhall Glacier sightseeing.

The port had 85 cruise ship calls scheduled during the May closure period that was initially announced, followed by 55 more calls from May 23 through the end of the month and 172 calls on the June schedule. Juneau handled about 1.68 million cruise passengers in 2024, after about 1.64 million in 2023.

Juneau can berth up to five large cruise ships in a day, though passenger limits now cap daily cruise arrivals at 16,000 guests Sunday through Friday and 12,000 on Saturdays for ships carrying at least 250 passengers.

Refunds continue while lower terminal stays open

Goldbelt is refunding prepaid tickets purchased through its website for dates affected by the closure.

“If you purchased tickets through a third party, such as a cruise line, please contact that vendor directly for refund assistance,” Goldbelt Tram advised in a customer update.

The Lower Terminal remains open for visitors, with Raven About Coffee, cultural experiences, shopping and guest amenities continuing while tram rides are suspended. Entry to the terminal is free, giving cruise passengers a limited alternative at the same site while the ride itself is unavailable.

Goldbelt Inc. President and CEO McHugh Pierre told KTOO that the company will remove the tram cars from the cables for repair, inspection and certification before reinstalling them. “There is no date set to open until we are certified safe to operate,” Pierre said.

“We anticipate opening this year,” Pierre said. “This is not a lost season.”