Atlanta airport unveils major upgrade to plane train system
Plane trains at ATL get upgrade
Officials are talking about the upgrades to the plane trains at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that will transport more passengers than ever at the world's busiest airport.
ATLANTA - Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is getting a major transportation upgrade as it rolls out the first of 63 brand-new energy-efficient plane train cars, part of a $300 million investment aimed at improving capacity and efficiency at the world’s busiest airport.
What we know:
The new vehicles, which maintain the airport’s iconic red color, come equipped with updated technology, additional handholds, and improved onboard signage to enhance the passenger experience. The new trains began arriving this week and are part of a long-planned overhaul of the airport’s people mover system.
The upgrade also includes a recently completed tunnel extension beneath the domestic terminal that will allow trains to turn around more efficiently. Once fully operational in early 2026, the new turnaround tunnel and expanded fleet — increasing from 59 to 73 total trains, with 63 brand new — will boost the system's capacity to 12,000 passengers per hour, up from 10,000. It will also reduce wait times between concourses from 108 seconds to 90 seconds.
What they're saying:
"Having this will really improve the customer experience and make sure they get to their gates on time," said Ana Maria Taroco, ATL’s Assistant General Manager of Planning & Development.
Officials say this is the future of the new trains, which are the future of the system and will help it be more reliable.
"The most important factor at the end of the day is, again, mitigating obsolescence, keeping up to date with technology to make sure that there is an uninterrupted passenger service," said Jason Aguirre, Customer Director at Alstom.
"When the west extension becomes fully operational in the first quarter of 2026, it will dramatically improve the efficiency and capacity of our people mover system," Taroco said.
The airport says the investments are costly, but they say the upgrades are worth it as more people travel.
"With this new project, our tunnels will also have a new power distribution room as well as a train control room and those two features will enhance the safety reliability of the system and itself," Taroco said.