Hartsfield-Jackson to upgrade Plane Train

The people-mover train, which carries passengers and employees between terminals and concourses, “has been breaking down increasingly over the years,” acknowledged Hartsfield-Jackson airport general manager Miguel Southwell. It has had no major overhaul since it began service in 1980, said director of aviation transportation systems Steven Poerschmann, and is well-beyond its expected operational life-cycle.

The upgrade will include new circuit breakers, monitoring equipment, additional transformers, new disconnect switches for sections of power rail and work to bring the tunnels up to code. It is expected to take two and a half years, with work done at night between 1:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. while the system is normally shut down. Poerschmann said the work should cause minimal impact to operations.