Photo courtesy of Newark Liberty International Airport
After several years of fits and starts, plans to construct a new AirTrain system for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey are moving ahead — with a twist.
The almost 28-year-old monorail system that will soon exceed its useful life is to be replaced with a modern cable car system, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced in December.
"It's a very reliable system based on the centralized propulsion design and proven service in severe weather," explained James Heitmann, the Port Authority's chief operating officer. "It also brings superior customer experience by way of enhanced dynamic digital signage."
Plus, it is much cheaper than original estimates of $2 billion or more to replace the system, NorthJersey.com reported Dec. 28.
The contract awarded to Austrian-based Doppelmayr Group was for $570 million to design and construct the 2.5-mi. automated people-mover system through Newark Liberty, which has a new Terminal A, a new Terminal B in the design phase, and a comprehensive plan being developed for a renovation of the entire complex in Newark and Elizabeth.
Additionally, the contract between the Port Authority and Doppelmayr includes options, at a value of $385 million in net present value, to operate and maintain the system for 20 years.
After 2025 Start, Construction to Last Four Years
Plans call for major construction on the cable car system to begin in the spring of 2025, with the people mover likely becoming fully operational in 2029. It will be built next to the current AirTrain at the northern New Jersey airport, which will stay in operation throughout construction.
Doppelmayr is known for building cable systems for gondolas, ski lifts and airport trams, including BART's airport connector in San Francisco and the DART connector to London's Luton Airport. The proposed Newark system is expected to eclipse the customer use at both of those airports.
Currently, Newark's AirTrain shuttles an average of 33,000 passengers a day. In contrast, the Doppelmayr system in San Francisco transported an average of 3,300 people a day after its first year in service, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
On its opening day, the new Newark system will be designed to carry double the capacity of the current system using five-car trains and over time will be capable of expanding by 40 percent.
High Costs Led to More Innovative Design
Getting to this point, however, has been a challenge, according to NorthJersey.com.
Gov. Phil Murphy called on the Port Authority to replace Newark's AirTrain in 2019 because of its age and frequent breakdowns, saying it would cost the bistate agency $400 million over a decade to keep repairing it.
At that time, the replacement effort was estimated to cost around $2 billion. When the bids came back in 2022, Port Authority board Chair Kevin O'Toole said, "The numbers came back, for a variety of reasons, higher than anticipated. We're working internally to see what we can do to make it a more competitive bid."
In addition to seeking a more innovative approach, the agency opted to break up the bid package and spread out the risk. The new request for proposal was issued earlier this year. Three firms were short-listed, and ultimately Doppelmayr was chosen for providing the "best value" and because it earned "highest technical rating," Heitmann said.
O'Toole thanked his employees for their hard work in getting the proposal to this point.
"This is a huge deal for the port, [and a] huge deal for the AirTrain project that has been hanging out there for a while," he said.
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