Business
Business

Hartsfield-Jackson to upgrade Plane Train

By
Jan 28, 2015

› SIGN UP FOR NEW ATLANTA AIR TRAVEL NEWSLETTER!

Anyone who has been stuck in a people-mover train breakdown at the Atlanta airport will likely remember it as a less-than-pleasant travel experience.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport hopes to reduce downtime from outages by spending $25 million to upgrade its 34-year-old people-mover known as the Plane Train. The Atlanta City Council this month approved a resolution for the airport contract with Bombardier Transportation Holdings for the work.

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.

About the Author

As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.

Follow Kelly Yamanouchi on facebookFollow Kelly Yamanouchi on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Cabbagetown resident Nadia Giordani rents a tiny home in her backyard. She'll soon open the booking window for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Riley Bunch/AJC)

Credit: Riley Bunch/riley.bunch@ajc.com

Atlanta’s short-term rentals are starting to fill up for the World Cup

Airbnb is predicting about 6,000 guests will stay with Atlanta hosts during the World Cup, representing about 45,000 guest nights.

Paramount makes hostile bid for Warner Bros., including CNN, Turner networks

Days after Netflix announced its plans to acquire the storied Hollywood institution’s studio and streaming businesses, Paramount has launched an all-cash offer.

Medical company announces expansion in Columbus with 480 jobs

A medical logistics company that makes health care kits announced an expansion plan for its Columbus operations, which will add 480 new jobs to the region.

The Latest

A new kind of hybrid, called e-Power, is coming to the U.S. from Nissan. Courtesy of Nissan

Credit: Courtesy of Nissan

OPINION

Nissan’s e-Power: An EV driving experience, fueled by gas

OPINION

December car sales are good but not magic

In the market for a luxury vehicle? You might reconsider Lincoln.

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

When ICE takes breadwinners, it takes a toll on families ... and on the economy

For immigrant families, brushes with ICE can result in financial precarity that could have implications for the broader economy.

‘I’m a bad kid,’ he told himself. How Georgia’s special ed program failed one child.

Parents find that it's easy to get into the GNETS program, but in some districts, difficult to leave.

‘A lot of blame, but not enough action’: Atlanta leaders lack path to fix jail

Stakeholders across Atlanta and Fulton County grapple with a complex web of issues that contribute to overcrowding, crumbling structure.