Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Automated People Mover

Infobox rail line
box_width = 27em
name = Hartsfield-Jackson APM
color = FF4400

---

image_width = 300px
caption = Concourse A Platform
type = People mover
system =
status =
locale = Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport serving Atlanta
start = Baggage Claim/Ground Transportation
end = Concourse E
stations = 7
routes =
ridership = 64,000,000 (in 2002)
open = September 21, 1980
close =
owner = Atlanta Department of Aviation
operator = Atlanta Department of Aviation
character = Serves sterile parts of the airport
stock = 59 Bombardier CX-100 vehicles
linelength = 2.8 miles (4.5 km)
tracklength =
notrack =
gauge =
el =
speed =
elevation = Underground

Hartsfield APM|

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Automated People Mover is an automated people mover system operating in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The system is the world's most heavily traveled APM system, with a ridership of over 64 million people in 2002. [cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title =Transportation Mall/People Mover
work =Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
pages =
date
url =http://www.atlanta-airport.com/default.asp?url=http://www.atlanta-airport.com/sublevels/customer_service/mallpage.htm
url =
accessdate = 2007-07-06] The APM was designed to quickly transport passengers between Atlanta Airport's Main Terminal and the six airside concourses, which include major hubs for both Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways.

History

The Automated People Mover opened along with the current airport terminal on September 21, 1980. The system was jointly built by Westinghouse and Adtranz, and originally used a fleet of Adtranz C-100 vehicles.

In September 1994, the Atlanta Airport opened Concourse E, the international terminal. Concourse E was constructed in preparation for the 1996 Summer Olympics, which were held in Atlanta. As part of the addition of Concourse E, the APM was extended beyond Concourse D to include the new concourse. cite web
url=http://www.atlanta-airport.com/sublevels/airport_info/histpage.htm
title=Airport History
publisher=Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
accessdate=2008-08-27]

In 2002, Bombardier Transportation (who had just recently acquired Adtranz) replaced the system's original C-100 vehicles with all new Bombardier CX-100 vehicles. There are currently 59 CX-100 vehicles operating in the system's fleet. [ [http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-services/transportation-systems/driverless-systems/automated-people-movers/atlanta--usa?docID=0901260d8000a53f# Bombardier Transportation - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport] ]

Layout and Operation

The APM, commonly called the concourse shuttle, is located within the secure area of the airport. The system consists of seven stations, one at each of Concourses A, B, C, D, and E, and two in the Main Terminal - one at Concourse T which is also the station for departing passengers heading to Concourses A-E, and one for arriving passengers heading to Baggage Claim and Ground Transportation. The APM uses two tunnels that run beneath the centers of the concourse buildings, with one tunnel for each direction.

Each station is equipped with platform edge doors. LCD televisions, which are located above the doors, display the destination of the trains arriving at each platform, the time of arrival for the next train, and even current weather conditions. Before a train departs, the LCD screens flash "Doors Closing," two red lights above each door flash alternately, a chime sounds, and a recorded voice states, "Careful, doors are closing and will not re-open. Please wait for the next train."

The Denver International Airport Automated Guideway Transit System, which was built in 1994, was designed nearly identically to the Atlanta Airport APM, since the layout of Denver International Airport is modeled after the Atlanta Airport.

The Voice

Inside the trains, a pre-recorded female voice announces station information and warns passengers of the train's movements. The voice uses the NATO phonetic alphabet to identify each concourse station. For example, the message announcing Concourse B says: "The next station is Concourse B. Concourse B, as in 'Bravo'." The one exception to this is Concourse D, which is identified by "David" rather than the correct "Delta" to avoid confusion with Delta Air Lines, which operates its main hub at the Atlanta Airport. Concourse D is primarily used for airlines other than Delta.

Prior to 1995, the trains featured a computerized male voice. The original voice was later replaced with a recorded male voice when Concourse E opened in preparation for the 1996 Summer Olympics. When the new CX-100 vehicles were introduced in 2002, a different male voice was introduced. The current female voice was introduced in 2006, along with the use of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.

While a female voice is used inside the trains, the male voice from 1996-2002 is still used in the stations to alert passengers when the doors close.

Future

* Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is currently in the process of adding a second concourse and terminal for international flights (Concourse F), also known as the East International terminal or, formally, the Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. International Terminal. The current APM will be extended beyond Concourse E to connect to the new Jackson Terminal. The new terminal is scheduled to be open in 2011. cite news
last =Ramos
first =Rachel Tobin
coauthors =
title = Hartsfield project costs soar to $9B
work = Atlanta Business Chronicle
pages =
date = September 21, 2007
url =http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2007/09/24/story2.html
accessdate =]

* A second APM line is under construction to connect the main terminal to the Consolidated Rental Car Facility (CONRAC) and to the Gateway Center of the Georgia International Convention Center. The new APM will feature a 1.5 mile-long elevated trackway that crosses Interstate 85 to connect to the outlying stations. Unlike the current APM, the new system will be elevated and outside the secure area of the airport. The new APM's airport station is located adjacent to the MARTA station at the west end of the main terminal building. The new APM will use Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Mover vehicles as its rolling stock. cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = CONRAC Automated People Mover (APM) System
work = Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
pages =
date = 2007-12-26
url = http://atlanta-airport.com/default.asp?url=http://atlanta-airport.com/sublevels/airport_info/conrac.htm
accessdate =]

* A third APM line is also being considered, connecting the main terminal to the proposed South Gate Complex, consisting of 70 gates. Since the South Gate Complex is currently only a proposal, no construction has taken place and details of the APM's configuration and whether it would be behind or outside of the security perimeter are unknown.

References

External links

* [http://www.atlanta-airport.com/Default.asp Official Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVmYI_JFzFY Video of the Train (YouTube)]