Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is to become the first US airport to feature the INNOVIA 300 Automated People Mover (APM) train cars, designed to reduce traffic in and around the airport and connect passengers to regional transportation such as the Metro light rail.
“The APM will be so much more than another way to get to LAX – it’s the piece of the puzzle that will curb the congestion that has been plaguing our airport for decades,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “As we welcome the first car that will whisk travellers to renovated terminals, parking structures, Metro rail, and a new rental-car facility, it’s clear that a completely reimagined LAX is on the horizon.”
The first train car arrived at the Maintenance and Storage Facility site in June after a cross-country journey from the Alstom factory in Pittsburgh, where the APM vehicles are manufactured and assembled. In total, 44 train cars will make the journey to LAX, in addition to the APM Maintenance and Service Vehicle, which arrived earlier this year.
So far, three train cars have arrived, with the fourth arriving later this week.
“This marks the beginning of a new phase of operations as we transition toward systems testing,” said LAX Integrated Express Solutions Constructors CEO, Antonio Estrada. “All of our progress to date continues to build toward realising the promise of a modern transportation experience at LAX.”
The driverless train system that will be used at LAX was specifically designed for flexible operation in both urban and airport transportation. During peak hours (09h00-23h00), the trains will arrive at stations every two minutes, with an end-to-end run time of 10 minutes. The train cars each have 12 seats and feature wide doors for easy access with luggage, large windows for viewing and plenty of hand holds.
