Work has begun on revitalizing New Jersey's Newark Liberty Airport's aging AirTrain — one part of the larger plan to rebuild the international airport.
On Oct. 7, 2025, Kevin O'Toole, chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, announced the groundbreaking for the new AirTrain, kicking off a long-awaited refresh of the 1990s-era system that will speed up and improve travel to the airport via public transit.
The $3.5 billion project is part of the Port Authority's EWR Vision Plan, a long-term effort to rebuild the airport, including a new Terminal B, upgrades to Terminal C, fixes to the airport's complex roadway network and replacement of the AirTrain.
The joint venture firm of Tutor Perini/O&G was awarded the $1.184 million contract to build a new 2.5-mi. elevated rail structure, known as the guideway, and three new stations for the new AirTrain system that will align with the ongoing redevelopment of Newark Liberty.
In addition, the Port Authority selected Doppelmayr USA, a Utah company and market leader in cable-propelled transport systems, for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the automated people mover system and its vehicles.
The New York/New Jersey agency also contracted with Boston-based Stantec, an engineering firm, to design the new maintenance and control facility, the pedestrian connectors, and to decommission the existing AirTrain.
Keeping Ahead of Area's Nonstop Growth
Initially built in 1996, the existing AirTrain is nearing the end of its useful life, according to the Port Authority, demanding constant maintenance and repairs while struggling to accommodate the airport's growing number of visitors.
When the transit service first opened, the airport served roughly 30 million passengers annually. By 2024, that number had grown to nearly 50 million, and ridership is projected to rise another 50 percent by 2040, far exceeding the system's current capacity.
AirTrain also provides access to the Northeast Corridor Rail Link Station while connecting terminals, parking lots and rental car facilities.
Today's transit system at Newark Liberty, however, cannot be expanded or upgraded with modern technology, and its route would limit future airport growth, reported 6sqft, an online real estate news site serving the New York metropolitan area.
In contrast, the new AirTrain is designed to be expandable and accommodates plans for future development.
To address these challenges, the new transit fleet will include seven five-car trains, each carrying 135 to 160 passengers — including luggage — more than doubling the current capacity. Passengers also will benefit from spacious walkthrough cars, aesthetic lighting, real-time signage and comfortable seating — all created to enhance the overall travel experience.
The new transit system will include three new stations, each connected by pedestrian pathways to existing airport facilities as well as a 70,000-sq.-ft. maintenance and control facility to support and manage the equipment.
The new route also will provide direct access to the airport's new Terminal A, eliminating the current 15-minute walk between the AirTrain station and the terminal.
Ralph D'Apuzzo, senior program director of Newark Development for the Port Authority and one of the engineers behind the AirTrain's original design, highlighted the system's upgrades while speaking to 6sqft.
"We're designing not just a transit system, but an experience, with spacious platforms, intuitive dynamic signage, natural light and local art throughout the three new stations that will be built," he said. "It's about functionality and accessibility for every passenger, and a system the region can be proud of."
Transit System One of Several Metro Airport Upgrades
The AirTrain project is designed with the EWR Vision Plan in mind, including the new and revamped Terminals A and B.
Revealed in October 2024, the vision plan aims to accommodate the airport's projected growth while bringing it up to par with the region's other major airports, LaGuardia and JFK International, both of which have undergone significant transformations in recent years.
Under the $19 billion "JFK Vision Plan," work on the new international Terminal One at that facility began in September 2022, while the new Terminal 6 broke ground in February 2023.
Other projects linked to the transformation of JFK include the $1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta and JFK, and a $425 million expansion of Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, 6sqft previously reported.
LaGuardia also has undergone a modernization following an $8 billion project that began in 2016 and was largely completed by June 2022 with the opening of Delta's $4 billion Terminal C.
"Breaking ground on a new AirTrain system marks another milestone in the complete transformation of Newark Liberty International Airport into a world-class gateway," O'Toole said. "This project is about more than just replacing outdated infrastructure. It's about building the capacity, reliability and customer experience that millions of travelers will depend on for decades to come as we complete a top-to-bottom reimagining of Newark Liberty."
If all goes to plan, the first passenger service on the new AirTrain transit system should take place in early 2030.
