This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
10/8/2025
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) yesterday broke ground on a new AirTrain system at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, launching construction of a modern, reliable 2.5-mile automated people mover.
The new $3.5 billion system will replace the existing AirTrain, which opened in 1996 and has become outdated and unable to accommodate Newark Liberty’s rapid growth, port authority officials said in a press release.
Expected to begin operation in 2030, the new AirTrain system will allow for expanded passenger capacity, greater reliability and flexible connectivity in conjunction with the airport’s redevelopment plan. AirTrain ridership is forecasted to grow by 50% by 2040, exceeding the capacity of the existing system, PANYNJ officials said.
Today's AirTrain is unable to be expanded or upgraded to newer technology. When the current system opened, the airport served about 30 million passengers each year; in 2024, the airport served nearly 50 million passengers.
Planning is underway for a new Terminal B to replace the existing 52-year-old terminal. The current system will largely remain in operation until the new system opens, with some intermittent outages over a 28-month period that will exclude peak summer and holiday travel times, authority officials said.