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AirTrain (San Francisco International Airport)

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AirTrain
A people mover train on an elevated guideway
AirTrain nearing West Field Road station in 2018
Overview
OwnerSan Francisco Airports Commission
LocaleSan Francisco International Airport
Transit typePeople mover
Number of lines2
Number of stations11
WebsiteAirTrain
Operation
Began operationFebruary 24, 2003; 21 years ago (2003-02-24)
Operator(s)San Francisco Airports Commission
CharacterAutomated people mover
Number of vehicles38 Innovia APM 100
Technical
System length3 mi (5 km)
No. of tracks2
Top speed30 mph (48 km/h)[1]
System map
Map
AirTrain
Legend
Terminal 2
Harvey Milk Terminal 1
Terminal 3
International Terminal A
International Terminal G
Garage A
Garage G/BART
Bay Area Rapid Transit
 Grand Hyatt
West Field Road
Rental Car Center
Long-Term Parking
US 101 (1961 cutout).svg US 101
BART
 Millbrae Bay Area Rapid Transit Caltrain
Caltrain
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible

AirTrain is a fully automated people mover at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) that opened on February 24, 2003. It operates 24 hours a day on two separate lines, covering a total of three miles (4.8 km). The service charges no fares; it is funded by a fee charged to rental car customers.[2] The system is located outside of the sterile area of each terminal, meaning passengers must exit and re-enter through a security checkpoint when using AirTrain to travel between terminals.

Lines and stations

AirTrain operates on two lines—Red Line and Blue Line—both of which run every four minutes. The Red Line travels in a clockwise loop around the central terminal area, which takes about nine minutes to complete. The Blue Line travels in a counterclockwise loop, serving the same stations in reverse order, and also proceeding to West Field Road, the Rental Car Center, and long-term parking, which takes 25 minutes for a round trip.[3]

Station Lines Notes
Grand Hyatt at SFO   Red Line
  Blue Line 		Airport hotel
Garage A
International Terminal A
Harvey Milk Terminal 1
Terminal 2
Terminal 3
International Terminal G
Garage G / BART Transfer to Bay Area Rapid Transit
West Field Road   Blue Line West cargo area facilities/employee parking
Rental Car Center
Long-Term Parking

The AirTrain stations at the International Terminal are located one level above ticketing, at both ends of the main hall. Stations at Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are located on level 5 of the domestic parking garage and can be accessed from mezzanine-level skybridges located near security checkpoints B, D, and F. The Garage A and G stations are accessible from level 7 of each garage.[4] The long-term parking station is connected by a skybridge to level 5 of the long-term parking garage.[5]

Technical details

Interior of an AirTrain car

The AirTrain system was built by Bombardier Transportation at a cost of US $430 million and is composed of 38 Innovia APM 100 cars coupled in trains of up to three cars. The APM 100 cars can also be found at airports in Tampa, Denver, Atlanta, Seattle-Tacoma, Houston, and Madrid. They are operated automatically under Bombardier's Cityflo 650 Communications-based train control signaling technology, making it one of the first radio-based train control systems to enter service.[6] The entire AirTrain fleet is accessible and allows rented baggage carts on board.

The Airport Development Plan from 2016 forecasted that ridership on the two lines would be over capacity in the future (42% and 87% over capacity on the Red and Blue Lines respectively)[7] and recommended upgrades that would increase capacity. Specific upgrades included acquiring 30 additional AirTrain cars, upgrading existing stations to accommodate 4-car trains, and upgrading the maintenance facility to accommodate additional vehicles.[8]

History

A $15 million infill station was constructed to serve the Grand Hyatt at SFO, a new airport hotel.[9] The hotel opened on October 7, 2019.[10]

AirTrain did not originally provide access to SFO's long-term parking garage and lots; instead, passengers had to take a free airport shuttle bus between the airport terminals and the long-term parking areas. The original end of the track past the Rental Car Center station was only about 600 yards (550 m) away from the airport's long-term parking garage; an extension to the garage began service in May 2021, replacing the shuttle buses.[3] The extension is estimated to eliminate 600,000 miles (970,000 km) previously driven by the shuttle buses each year.[3]

The Harvey Milk Terminal 1 station was closed from July 2021 to April 26, 2023, during reconstruction of the terminal.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "AirTrain Fact Sheet" (PDF). San Francisco Airports Commission. July 2003. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  2. ^ Douglas Greenberg (April 19, 2012). "SFO rental car co's may be mischarging $20 fee". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  3. ^ a b c "SFO Completes AirTrain Extension to Long-Term Parking | San Francisco International Airport". FlySFO | San Francisco International Airport. May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  4. ^ "Getting Around SFO | San Francisco International Airport". FlySFO | San Francisco International Airport. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  5. ^ "Long-Term Parking | San Francisco International Airport". FlySFO | San Francisco International Airport. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  6. ^ "Bombardier Marks 15th Anniversary of Its World-First Radio-Based, Driverless Rail Control System" (Press release). Bombardier Transportation. MarketWired. March 29, 2018. Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  7. ^ Alternatives Development and Evaluation (PDF). Draft Final Airport Development Plan (Report). San Francisco International Airport. September 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Recommended Airport Development Plan (PDF). Draft Final Airport Development Plan (Report). San Francisco International Airport. September 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Sabatini, Joshua (December 2, 2015). "San Francisco selects Hyatt to manage airport hotel". San Francisco Examiner. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  10. ^ Yakel, Doug (October 7, 2019). "Hyatt and San Francisco International Airport Proudly Announce Opening of Grand Hyatt at SFO" (Press release). San Francisco International Airport.
  11. ^ Salazar, James (April 24, 2023). "SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 travel option returns this week". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
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