NEWARK, N.J. — Construction of a new monorail at Newark Liberty International Airport to replace the current, aging system has received environmental approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, keeping the project on schedule for the start of construction in 2022.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday that the FAA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for the $2.05 billion project. That document is available on the Port Authority website. The project will build a 2.5-mile elevated rail system to replace the current AirTrain, which opened in 1996 and was extended in 2001.
“The current AirTrain Newark has outlived its usefulness,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said in a press release. “Its replacement will create a new rail system that offers a 21st-century customer experience for airport visitors and employees, as we continue to reimagine and redevelop Newark Liberty Airport.”
The rail system connects the airport to the Northeast Corridor station served by Amtrak and NJ Transit, as well as a rental car facility and the airport’s terminals. The project will include a new AirTrain station at the Northeast Corridor station, providing an enclosed center platform, escalators, and an additional elevator. The system is projected to be in operation by 2026.
Don’t worry about your phone. The map is blurrred.
Hard to see the map on my phone, but will the new train not serve the terminals directly, but with a pedestrian connector?
This is an improvement?
Thirty year life, opening to demo, 1996 to 2026.
BTW when is the O’Hare airtrain going to re-open?