It’s the busiest offseason for construction crews at Wachusett Mountain in years.
Currently, work is underway to replace the Polar Express Quad (not the train with a singing Tom Hanks on it) with a detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift.
Last Friday, Wachusett shared its first status report on the demolition of the old lift and the construction of the new chairlift. The old lift has been removed, along with the concrete foundations. Cranes, forklifts, and helicopters were used to remove the old lift. The future of that lift is uncertain, as Wachusett previously announced that the old Polar Express is for sale. Work has begun on excavating the area of the future base terminal foundation.
Part 2 of the video update included common questions regarding the new chairlift. This lift will have longer load intervals and automatic restraint bahs (based on the state that Wachusett is situated in, bah isn’t a typo), leading to a safer ride. Wachusett reiterated that, with this being a medium-capacity six-pack chairlift, the ski resort doesn’t expect to see increased skier traffic on the slopes. The new chairlift will have the same uphill carrying capacity per hour as its predecessor. They will answer more questions about the lift in the video scheduled to be released this week.
The new chairlift is scheduled to make its debut in December 2025.
Image/Video Credits: Wachusett Mountain
