| AirTrain Newark | |
| Type: | People mover, monorail |
| Locale: | Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark & Elizabeth, New Jersey |
| Stations: | 6 |
| Lastextension: | October 21, 2001 (to RaiLink station) |
| Owner: | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
| Operator: | Alstom |
| Character: | Elevated |
| Stock: | 18 x Von Roll Mk III |
| Electrification: | Dual third rails |
| Speed Mph: | 20 |
AirTrain Newark is a 3miles monorail people mover system connecting the terminals & various parking facilities at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and trains at Newark Liberty International Airport Station on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), where transfers are possible to Amtrak and NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line.[1] The monorail opened in 1996, and is planned to be replaced by the mid-to-late 2020s.
In 1991, ground was broken for AirTrain Newark's construction.[2] A monorail had been proposed in order to alleviate vehicular traffic at the terminals. Originally projected to open in 1994, the completion date was pushed back due to a change in project management and issues related to the system's switches.
The $354 million monorail eventually opened on May 31, 1996.[3] It initially served only as an airport circulator, a service which allows passengers to transfer between airport terminals or concourses.[4] [5] Service was phased in, with trains operating from 5 AM to 11 PM for the first 60 days of the monorail's operations, after which time it would operate at all times, starting early that August. The monorail tracks were soon thereafter extended to the Northeast Corridor, with construction on that project beginning in 1997; the extension opened on October 21, 2001.[6] [7] [8]
When the system first opened in 1996, a fleet of 12 six-car trains ran on the network. The fleet was later expanded to 18 six-car trains.[9]
In September 2000, the monorail temporarily shut down after defects were detected in the system's de-icing mechanisms.[10] [11] [12] Originally anticipated to last for three months, the shutdown & repairs lasted for six months, and the monorail resumed operations on the morning of March 10, 2001. Adtranz was responsible for paying the $25 million in repairs, and temporary shuttle buses provided service in lieu of the monorail during the shutdown period.
The contract to build the system was awarded to Von Roll, but the project was finished by Adtranz, which acquired Von Roll's monorail division while the system was being built. Adtranz was later acquired by Bombardier Transportation, which was itself purchased by Alstom, which continues to operate the AirTrain under contract to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – the operator of the airport.
AirTrain service was suspended from May 1, 2014, for 75 days, until mid-July, to allow for repairs to be made.[13] [14] Repairs were completed early, and the system resumed operations on July 3.[15]
The system has a projected lifespan of 25 years. In April 2015, the PANYNJ suggested that initial work to replace the system would cost $40 million in consultant and engineering studies.[16] [17] [18] In 2017, the Port Authority decided to include the then $1.7 billion PATH extension to the Newark Liberty International Airport "RailLink" station in their 2017 10-year capital plan, while the AirTrain was given $300 million for maintenance and repairs.[19]
However, in January 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a plan for a $2 billion replacement project for the AirTrain. Murphy has stated that replacement is necessary because the system is reaching the end of its projected 25-year life and is subject to persistent delays and breakdowns. The Port Authority would be responsible for funding the project.[20] In October 2019, the Port Authority's Board of Commissioners approved the AirTrain Newark Replacement Project, with an estimated cost of $2.05 billion. Construction was expected to start in 2021 and be completed in 2024.[21] A draft environmental impact statement was completed in February 2021 when the proposed opening date was shifted to 2026.[22] Federal environmental approval for the project was received later that year.[23]
In December 2023, the Port Authority announced that Doppelmayr will construct the replacement system, awarding them the contract in the first phase of the project's contract procurement process.[24] [25] [26] [27] The new system will use automated, cable-driven trains, and many portions of the route will travel along new alignments; the new system will be in 2.5miles in length and have four stations.[28] [29]
The train is free, except for passengers traveling to and from the RailLink station to connect with NJ Transit or Amtrak; these passengers must pay an $8.50 "AirTrain access fee" at that station. When passengers purchase a rail ticket to or from the station, the fee is automatically added to the ticket price and a barcode is printed on the ticket that is used to pass through the fare gate array between the AirTrain platform and the train platform. Passengers using passes to another station and those who pay a cash fare on board the train must purchase a separate AirTrain ticket from machines located on either side of the fare gates. Child tickets (ages 5 to 11) are exempt from this additional fare.[30]
The access fee has been raised several times since the system was built, with the last increase to $8.50 going into effect on March 1, 2024.[31] [32]
The AirTrain has three major stations within the airport: one for each terminal (A, B, and C). Two stations – Terminal B and Terminal C – sit on top of their respective terminal buildings. There are two other stations (P3 and P4) for the parking lots and rental car facilities, plus a sixth (the RailLink station) at the Northeast Corridor. The system previously included two other stations: P1 and P2 – but the P1 station was removed in July 2019 to permit construction of a new consolidated rental car and parking facility,[33] and P2 closed in June 2021 in connection with the same project. However, the P2 station was reopened in conjunction with the new Terminal A in January 2023, and has since been renamed to Terminal A. The former Terminal A station, located atop the former Terminal A building, is now used as an "employees only" stop.
Automated announcements recorded by former traffic reporter Bernie Wagenblast tell riders which airlines can be found in each terminal, as well as available connections at other stations.[34]
All stations are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[35]
In 2007, the average daily paid ridership was 4,930.[36]
| Station | Connections | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opened on October 21, 2001 | |||
| Initial terminus prior to the system's extension to the RailLink station | ||
| |||
| |||
| Permanently closed; originally served the original Terminal A | |||
| |||
|
| ||
| Permanently closed; demolished in July 2019 |
AirTrain Newark operates using 18 Von Roll Mk III trainsets, each train consisting of cars. Automated announcements onboard the trains announce the stations and the airlines & connections available at the given station – in addition to various other messages; the announcements are recorded by former traffic reporter Bernie Wagenblast.
The fleet originally consisted of 12 six-car trains, but an additional six trainsets – also six cars in length – were eventually added, bringing the total number of trainsets to 18.
Trains travel up to 20mph along the line.
Upon the completion of the replacement AirTrain Newark system in the 2020s, the current Von Roll Mk III monorail trainsets will be retired and replaced by cable-driven trainsets manufactured by Doppelmayr.