Skytrain (Miami International Airport)

The Skytrain was constructed as part of a $3 billon expansion project of the North Terminal at Miami International Airport (MIA), a major airline hub for American Airlines. The project began in 1998 and ultimately consolidated the four "finger-style" Concourses A, B, C, and D into a single mile-long (1.6 km) linear terminal, a new Concourse D, with 50 gates.[1] To reduce walking times, a people mover system was designed to transport passengers along the terminal's roof. Construction on the new terminal began in March 2007; it was built by the joint venture of Parsons–Odebrecht who also constructed the Skytrain stations and infrastructure.[2] Trains were built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Sumitomo Corporation. The total cost of the system was $130 million (equivalent to $160 million in 2021).[3][4] It began operations on September 15, 2010.[5]

The Skytrain connects four stations in the airside zone of Concourse D across a route length of 0.70 miles (1.12 km). Trains are fully-automated and operate 19 hours a day, from 5:00 am until midnight. Travel time along the entire route is four minutes, and trains arrive at each station every two to three minutes.[6] Four trains are in service during rush hours from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, with two or three trains in operation at other times.[7] For security reasons, passengers arriving from international flights board the train from a separate lobby on the east side of each station and travel in a vehicle separate from other passengers.[8][9] Stations are located on the fifth level of the terminal and are numbered 1 to 4, from east to west.[10][11]

Skytrain infrastructure is located along the roof of Concourse D. It includes a double-track railway with a concrete fixed guideway, which has a track gauge of 6.1 feet (1.85 m). The entire system includes 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of track.[8][12] Its rolling stock includes 20 Crystal Mover cars, which travel in four-car train sets, consisting of two fixed married pair vehicles. Cars can accommodate up to 93 passengers, including eight seats and two spaces for wheelchairs, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The four stations have an island platform layout with platform screen doors.[8]

The system can transport up to 9,000 passengers per hour per direction,[8] and it served up to 40,000 passengers daily in 2015.[13] Operations and maintenance are provided by Crystal Mover Services, a subsidiary of MHI.[3] It is one of three individual people mover systems at MIA, in addition to the Concourse E people mover (opened in 1980) and the MIA Mover (opened in 2011).[14][15]

On December 22, 2015, a Skytrain vehicle collided with the buffer stop at the end of the track at Station 4 during an overnight maintenance test. The two lead cars derailed onto the roof of the concourse, while the two rear cars remained on the track. Only one employee was on board at the time and no injuries were reported. Passenger service was suspended for investigation, and on December 25, the cause of the accident was determined to be the result of a short circuit which disabled the train's braking system. The circuiting was modified to remove the brake bypass function during normal train operations, and passenger service resumed on December 26.[16][17]

On September 27, 2023, Skytrain service was suspended due to significant structural damage as a result of accelerated deterioration in the concrete infrastructure.[18] An MIA spokesperson reported on the day of the closure that a full analysis of the issues is expected to continue until "at least mid-October."[3]

• List of airport people mover systems

• Skytrain map