AirTrain (San Francisco International Airport)

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 6 miles (9.7 km). The service is free of charge, funded by a $20 "airport fee" charged by rental car companies.[1]

AirTrain
AirTrain nearing West Field Road station in 2018
AirTrain guideway
Overview
OwnerSan Francisco Airports Commission
LocaleSan Francisco International Airport
Transit typePeople mover
Number of lines2
Number of stations10 (1 planned)
Websitehttps://www.flysfo.com/to-from/getting-around-sfo
Operation
Began operationFebruary 24, 2003
Operator(s)San Francisco Airports Commission
CharacterBombardier-built airport rail link
Number of vehicles38 Bombardier Innovia APM 100 people mover vehicles (3 on order)
Technical
System length6 mi (10 km)
No. of tracks2
Track gaugeRubber-tired
System map
Terminal 2
 Terminal 3
 Terminal 1
 Int'l Terminal G
 Int'l Terminal A
 Garage G
Garage A
 Grand Hyatt
West Field Road
 Rental Car Center
 Long-term Parking
(2023)
US 101
 Millbrae
Bay Area Rapid Transit
to San Francisco & the East Bay
Caltrain
to San Francisco │ to San Jose

Lines and stations

AirTrain operates on two lines—Red Line and Blue Line—both of which run every ​2 1⁄2 minutes. The Red Line travels in a clockwise loop, beginning with Garage G station and ending with Garage A station, which takes about 9 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 and the Rental Car Center, which takes 19 minutes for a round trip.

AirTrain does not provide access to SFO's long-term parking garage and lots; instead, passengers must take a free airport shuttle bus between the airport terminals and the long-term parking areas. The end of the track past the Rental Car Center station is only about 600 yards (0.34 mi) away from the airport's long-term parking garage; an extension to the garage is expected to be in service in 2020.[2]

A $15 million infill station was constructed to serve the Grand Hyatt at SFO, a new airport hotel.[3] The hotel opened on October 7, 2019.[4]

Station Lines Notes
Grand Hyatt at SFO   Red Line
  Blue Line
  • Airport hotel
Garage A   Red Line
  Blue Line
  • International parking
International Terminal A   Red Line
  Blue Line
  • International check-in for A and G gates
  • Airport medical clinic
  • Boarding Area A (A Gates)
Terminal 1   Red Line
  Blue Line
Terminal 2   Red Line
  Blue Line
Terminal 3   Red Line
  Blue Line
International Terminal G   Red Line
  Blue Line
Garage G / BART   Red Line
  Blue Line
West Field Road   Blue Line
Rental Car Center   Blue Line
  • Access to most car rental companies
  • Transfer to shuttle to additional off-airport rental companies
  • Kiss & Fly

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 bridges located near security checkpoints B, D, and F.

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 CBTC (communications-based train control) signalling technology, making it one of the first radio-based train control systems to enter service.[5]

The entire AirTrain fleet is accessible and allows rented baggage carts on board.

Future expansion and upgrades
Lot DD station under construction in 2020

A Lot DD station that is under construction will serve a long-term parking garage (Lot DD) and rental car center and would operate on the Blue Line only. The extension is expected to open in 2023-24.[6]

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

See also

References
  1. Douglas Greenberg (April 19, 2012). "SFO rental car co's may be mischarging $20 fee". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  2. "AirTrain Alert". San Francisco International Airport. San Francisco International Airport. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  3. Sabatini, Joshua (December 2, 2015). "San Francisco selects Hyatt to manage airport hotel". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  4. 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.
  5. "Bombardier Marks 15th Anniversary of Its World-First Radio-Based, Driverless Rail Control System". Bombardier Transportation. MarketWired. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  6. "AirTrain Extension & Improvements". San Francisco International Airport.
  7. Alternatives Development and Evaluation (PDF). Draft Final Airport Development Plan (Report). San Francisco International Airport. September 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  8. Recommended Airport Development Plan (PDF). Draft Final Airport Development Plan (Report). San Francisco International Airport. September 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.