Atlanta airport Plane Train delays are expected these September nights
Starting Wednesday evening and continuing during nine other evenings this month, the Atlanta airport’s Plane Train will see longer overnight wait times to accommodate switch construction.
The switches being upgraded are 40 years old and allow the trains at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to switch between the north and south directions.
In addition to Wednesday night, work will also occur in the overnight hours of Thursday and on the nights of Sept. 8-10, Sept. 15-17, Sept. 23 and Sept. 30.
The overnight work will occur between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. or 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., depending on the date.
Airport officials said the evenings were chosen “because of the anticipated low passenger volume.”
During the construction, extended wait times of about eight minutes are expected.
The Plane Train is in the midst of a major multipronged expansion and upgrade.
In addition to the switch upgrades, the airport has completed a 600-foot extension of its tunnel and is in the process of replacing and growing its fleet from 59 to 73 new cars.
Leaders promise the changes will improve the train’s capacity and speeds as it keeps up with growing passenger volumes.
Officials have said the airport may next need to replace the entire signaling system to allow the trains to get even closer to each other and replace the platforms’ sliding doors.
About the Author
As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
