The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted to replace Newark Airport's antiquated monorail that transports passengers from terminal to terminal.
The monorail has been in service for 27 years. What appeared to be cutting-edge in 1995 is now outdated and prone to malfunctions. A cable car system will take its place. The Port Authority accepted two contracts totaling $950 million for the project last week.
"It is drawn by a cable from a wheelhouse, but it is very reliable as a result, through all sorts of weather because it doesn't have to get any kind of traction from self-propelled wheels," said Jim Heitmann, Port Authority chief operations officer.
The cable cars will not be single trolleys in the style of San Francisco's streets. Instead, the cable cars will be five cars identical to those found at Mexico City and Las Vegas airports.
However, construction on the new cable car system will not commence until 2025. It is not projected to be completed until 2029, according to officials. The project was proposed by then-Gov. Phil Murphy.
"By advancing the replacement of AirTrain Newark, we further build upon Newark Liberty's transformation into the modern, world-class airport our region deserves," Murphy stated in a press release.
However, the project has been delayed for nearly a decade due to COVID and what the Port Authority perceived to be inflated cost estimates. The present monorail was built in 1996 for $354 million.
"A tremendous amount of work has been going on for a long time," said Kevin O'Toole, chairman of the Port Authority board. "It's a huge deal for the airport and the AirTrain project."