The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has begun the next phase of its 3.5 billion USD AirTrain Newark replacement project, with construction starting this month on the guideway and track structure between the Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station and the P4 station.
The new automated AirTrain system is scheduled to open in 2030. It will replace the existing system, which opened in 1996 and is approaching the end of its service life. The replacement is intended to address capacity constraints and reliability issues as passenger numbers at Newark Liberty continue to rise. Airport traffic has increased from around 30 million passengers a year in the mid-1990s to nearly 50 million in 2024.
The new system will be designed to carry up to 50,000 passengers a day, compared with around 33,000 on the current AirTrain. The revised route is also planned to improve access to Terminal A, removing the need for a lengthy walk from the station.
From Thursday 15 January, weekday AirTrain services between the airport rail station and P4 will be suspended from 5 am to 3 pm while work is carried out. During these periods, accessible shuttle buses will operate every four to five minutes, linking the rail station with airport terminals, parking areas and car rental facilities. Passengers are advised to allow up to 15 minutes of additional travel time.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said:Replacing AirTrain Newark is critical to the future of Newark Liberty International Airport. This next phase of construction moves that work from planning to visible progress, while ensuring travellers continue to have reliable ways to reach terminals, parking, and transit connections during construction.
AirTrain services will continue to operate between P4, Terminal C, Terminal B, P3 and Terminal A during this phase. Weekend services will operate as normal. The weekday outages will pause during the peak travel season between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and again between 30 October 2026 and 15 January 2027. Further outages are planned for 2027 and 2028.
During the weekday outages, passengers arriving by NJ TRANSIT or Amtrak will use shuttle buses from the airport rail station to reach terminals, P4 daily parking and car rental facilities. Departing rail passengers from terminals B and C will travel by AirTrain to P4 and transfer to shuttle buses, while those from Terminal A will use shuttle buses directly. Airport staff will be on hand to assist passengers, and all buses will be ADA-compliant.
Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said:This project is about building a system that can keep pace with Newark Liberty’s growth for decades to come. We appreciate passengers’ patience during these temporary changes, enabling us to advance construction of a modern, high-capacity AirTrain that will deliver a smoother, more dependable experience for millions of passengers each year.
The AirTrain project forms part of a wider redevelopment of Newark Liberty International Airport, which includes new terminal facilities, upgraded airfield infrastructure, improved road access and plans for a new local entrance to the airport rail station.
