Port Authority Begins Guideway Construction on $3.5B AirTrain Newark Replacement
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has begun the next major phase of construction on the $3.5 billion AirTrain Newark replacement project, with guideway and track work starting this month between the Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station and the P4 station.
The milestone moves the long-planned replacement of the existing AirTrain from preparatory work into visible construction, as the agency advances a new automated system designed to support future passenger growth and improve reliability at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The new AirTrain will replace the current system, which opened in 1996 and is nearing the end of its useful life. According to the Port Authority, the existing AirTrain is operating at capacity and cannot be expanded or upgraded to accommodate projected demand tied to airport redevelopment and regional growth.
Construction during the current phase will require weekday service outages between the Airport Rail Station and the P4 station, with shuttle buses operating to maintain connectivity between terminals, parking facilities, and rail service. AirTrain service will continue operating between Terminal A, Terminal B, Terminal C, P3, and P4 stations during this period. Weekend AirTrain service will remain unaffected, and outages will pause during peak summer and holiday travel periods.
The new AirTrain system is expected to open in 2030 and will be designed to handle up to 50,000 passengers per day, compared to the current system’s capacity of approximately 33,000 passengers. The replacement system will feature improved reliability, expanded capacity, and a route that provides more direct access to the airport’s terminals, including Terminal A.
Port Authority officials said the project is critical to supporting Newark Liberty’s long-term redevelopment plan, which includes new terminal facilities, airside and landside improvements, and enhanced multimodal access to the airport.
When the current AirTrain opened in 1996, Newark Liberty served roughly 30 million passengers annually. In 2024, the airport handled nearly 50 million passengers, with ridership expected to continue increasing over the coming decades.
The AirTrain replacement is a central component of the Port Authority’s broader redevelopment of Newark Liberty International Airport, following the opening of the new Terminal A in 2023 and additional planned investments aimed at modernizing the airport into a world-class gateway for the region.