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Construction is officially underway on Newark Liberty International Airport’s long-awaited new AirTrain—a sleek, $3.5 billion replacement for the clunky 1996 original that’s ferried millions of travelers (sometimes begrudgingly) across terminals for nearly three decades.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey broke ground this week on the 2.5-mile automated people mover, which will serve as the backbone of Newark’s ongoing airport transformation. When it debuts in 2030, the new AirTrain will move up to 50,000 passengers per day (up from about 33,000 currently), connecting all three terminals, parking lots, rental car facilities and NJ Transit and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor rail lines.
“Breaking ground on a new AirTrain system marks another milestone in the complete transformation of Newark Liberty International Airport into a world-class gateway,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “This project is about more than just replacing outdated infrastructure.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.”
That transformation is no small feat. Newark’s redevelopment plan calls for revamped terminals, streamlined roadways and a modernized taxiway system to reduce delays. The AirTrain is a critical piece—designed to eliminate the current 15-minute slog between Terminal A and the rail station while providing smoother connections for future terminals (including a new Terminal B) and amenities like the Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility.
“The new AirTrain Newark is essential to Newark Liberty’s future,” added executive director Rick Cotton. “It will improve access to the airport, support its continued growth, and knit together the airport’s terminals, rail links, and parking into a modern, unified system.”
Behind the scenes, the project is also generating opportunities for local and minority-owned businesses through Port Authority workforce programs and partnerships with firms like Doppelmayr, the world leader in cable-propelled transit systems and engineering powerhouse Stantec.
Until 2030, the existing AirTrain will continue to operate, albeit with some brief outages during construction. But once the new system launches, expect faster connections, fewer headaches and maybe even a few more reasons to root for Newark’s glow-up.