After much consideration, Newark Liberty International Airport's AirTrain system is set to be replaced. The busy East Coast hub's authorities have confirmed their plans in an announcement today.

Busy service

Since its opening on May 31st, 1996, the 3-mile (4.8 km) monorail system has gone on to carry approximately 13 million passengers yearly. The system prides itself on linking passengers to NJ Transit and the rail lines along the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line. It has been a mainstay for travelers to and from New Jersey and New York.

However, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is seeking to replace the current system with a modern solution. Today, it issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to replace AirTrain with "a new 2.5-mile elevated guideway train system." The Request for Proposals (RFP) will then be issued to shortlisted companies early next year.

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The proposals

While the current format is being replaced, the new infrastructure will still bear the same name. As the Port Authority puts it:

“The first phase, part of a multi-phase procurement process, includes the design and construction of the new AirTrain’s system technology, and the operations and maintenance of the components necessary for a fully functional, world-class AirTrain. Also included in the first phase are the furnishing, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the system technology.”

Port Authority chairman Kevin O’Toole shared the following in an official statement:

“Debuted in 1996, the existing system has become outmoded and unreliable over the years, and we want to ensure that the new system provides a high level of service that our airport customers and employees deserve. The first phase of the procurement process is a critical step in advancing our commitment to delivering a new system designed to provide best-in-class standards for reliability, comfort, and convenience using 21st-century technology.”

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A new era

Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton added that his team is focused on providing a-new AirTrain Newark system that is a crucial part of advancing the airport. He noted that the work would complement the new Terminal A to enhance the passenger experience with better connections and swift access.

Newark Airport just celebrated the completion of the new terminal last month. The site had long been looking forward to addressing congestion and accessibility challenges over the years. Thus, the new million-square-foot facility has 33 gates and was the largest design-build project in the history of its state.

The new terminal was set to open this month. However, amid a delay, it is now expected to launch services in January.

With an investment of $2.7 billion, the facility replaces the old terminal, which was launched in 1973. Therefore, it’s only natural that management would want a modern ground transport system to complement the work done on the terminal.

What are your thoughts about the ongoing evolution of Newark Liberty International Airport? What do you make of the proposals regarding the new AirTrain system? Let us know what you think of the plans and their prospects in the comment section.

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  Newark Liberty International Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  EWR/KEWR

  Country:

  United States

  CEO:

  James Gill

  Passenger Count :

  15,892,892 (2020)

  Runways :

  4L/22R - 3,353m (11,000 ft) | 4R/22L - 3,048m (10,000 ft) | 11/29 - 2,050m (6,726 ft)

  Terminals:

  Terminal A | Terminal B | Terminal C