The AirTrain Newark Replacement Program will replace the current outmoded system with a modern, reliable 2.5-mile automated people mover train system.
The AirTrain Newark Replacement Program will replace the current outmoded system with a modern, reliable 2.5-mile automated people mover train system.
Doppelmayr – a specialist in cable-propelled transport systems – will play a key role in developing the new AirTrain Newark system. The contract includes $570m for design and construction, with an estimated $385m over 20 years, net present value, for operation and maintenance of the automated people mover system and its vehicles. The new AirTrain system is expected to open in 2029.
“By advancing the replacement of AirTrain Newark, we further build upon Newark Liberty’s transformation into the modern, world-class airport our region deserves,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “This project marks a massive win-win not only for the tens of thousands of passengers who utilise AirTrain Newark daily, but for our residents in adjacent communities as well. While the revamped AirTrain will improve efficiency and connectivity at Newark Liberty, the project will also promote workforce development opportunities and good-paying local jobs, including for minority- and women-owned businesses.”
“This is a critical step in our wide-ranging efforts to revitalise and modernise Newark Liberty International Airport,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Given Doppelmayr’s experience and expertise, we know the firm will be a great partner in bringing our travellers the reliable, efficient transportation they deserve, surrounded by world-class terminals and amenities.”
In addition to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the automated people mover system and its vehicles, the first procurement phase also includes the furnishing, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the system technology components. Those components include train control, electrical power, communications, propulsion, and Maintenance and Control Facility (MCF) equipment. Future project procurement phases will include contracts related to the system’s guideway and stations, maintenance and control facility, pedestrian connections, and demolition of the existing system, among others.
Doppelmayr was selected after a rigorous review process, following a Request for Qualifications issued in December 2022 and a Request for Proposals issued in March 2023.
The contract continues the Port Authority’s mandate to create equitable economic opportunities at its major capital projects. To this end, Doppelmayr has committed to making good-faith efforts to meet specific benchmarks around the hiring of minority-owned business enterprises, women-owned business enterprises, service-disabled veteran-owned business enterprises, and locally-owned business enterprises, with those from the cities of Newark and Elizabeth prioritised.
The firm is also required to develop a locally based workforce development programme, with goals to hire programme participants for future work on the new system’s construction and operation.
AirTrain Newark serves as the primary means for millions of passengers to transfer between the three passenger terminals at Newark Liberty, parking, rental car facilities, and regional rail transit via the Northeast Corridor Rail Link Station, with connections to NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak rail service. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the AirTrain carried an average of 33,000 passengers per day, or approximately 12 million passengers per year. The existing AirTrain, in operation since 1996, is reaching the end of its useful life, requires extensive maintenance and repair, and cannot adequately meet forecasted demand.
