Denver International Airport Automated Guideway Transit System
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| DIA Automated Guideway Transit System | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | People mover | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Denver International Airport serving Denver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Terminals | Terminal/Baggage Claim Concourse C |
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| No. of stations | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | February 28, 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | City & County of Denver Department of Aviation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Serves sterile parts of the airport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | 27 Bombardier CX-100 vehicles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track length | 2.5 mi (3.9 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest elevation | Underground | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Denver International Airport Automated Guideway Transit System is a people mover system operating at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado. The system opened along with the airport itself in 1995, and was conceived as a means to connect all of the terminals and quickly transport passengers between each due to the longer distances between each terminal, especially when compared to Stapleton International Airport, Denver's former airport.[1]
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[edit] History
The AGTS project was announced publicly in October 1992 at a cost of $84 million. The initial system consisted of 16 cars that were paired together in groups of four to traverse the length of the tunnel.[1] The cars themselves ride on rubber wheels and roll along a concrete track. Additionally, each direction included a second set of tracks, with crossover tracks between each building, so traffic can be routed around stalled or disabled trains.[1] Six more vehicles were added to the system by 1995, and an additional five were added in 2001.[2] Today, the fleet consists of 27 Bombardier CX-100 vehicles, which have a maximum capacity of 100 passengers. Trains run at 1.5 minute intervals during peak times resulting in an 11 minute travel time from end to end.[3]
[edit] Layout and Operation
Located within the secure areas of the airport, the AGTS utilizes two mile-long tunnels traveling underneath the aircraft taxiways. Four stations exist, serving each airside concourse (Concourses A, B, and C) and the Main Terminal (which serves Baggage Claim and Ground Transportation). Each station features an island platform configuration, and is equipped with platform screen doors. While it is possible to walk from the main terminal to Concourse A via a pedestrian bridge over the taxiway, the train is the only way to access Concourses B and C.
The Main Terminal station, the southernmost station, also features additional rear platforms behind each track. When a train arrives at the Main Terminal, the rear doors open first to allow passengers to exit. The front doors then open, allowing departing passengers to board. Currently, all trains use the west platform in the Main Terminal station, and the east platform is not used for passenger service (However, the east platform is occasionally used to store non-operating trains). After departing the Main Terminal station, trains use a switch track located just north of the station to switch into the northbound tunnel. The AGTS's maintenance facility is located just beyond the Concourse C station.
Since Denver International Airport's layout was based on the layout of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the AGTS's layout is nearly identical to the layout of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Automated People Mover.
[edit] Audio
The AGTS features both audio and visual systems to deliver station information and warn passengers of the trains movements. The AGTS's audio installation, which was recorded by Denver sound artist Jim Green, is considered one of the airport's art installations.[4] Jim Green is also known for recording the audio for the singing sinks in the restrooms at the Denver Art Museum and the "Laughing Escalators" at the Denver Convention Center.
The audio system primarily utilizes pre-recorded voice messages to deliver information to the passengers. Prior to most of the messages, a short musical chime will sound to get the passengers attention. The music makes use of many different instrument sounds, and each chime has a different meaning when it sounds.
Originally, the voice announcements featured the voices of local radio-broadcast pioneer Pete Smythe and former KCNC-TV news anchor Reynelda Muse. Sound artist Jim Green selected Smythe and Muse because he felt the system should use voices that the people of Colorado would recognize.[4] The instrumentation of the music accompanying Smythe and Muse's voices primarily made use of xylophone and accordion. The original soundtrack had been used on the train system since the airport's opening in 1995 and remained unchanged for 12 years, primarily due to its status as an art installation.
However, due to various changes made at the airport since its opening, some of the system's messages needed to be updated; therefore, the system needed a new soundtrack. Jim Green, the original sound artist, recorded the new soundtrack in the early summer of 2007. The current soundtrack debuted on June 1, 2007, and features the voices of former Coors Field announcer Alan Roach, and local 9News anchor Adele Arakawa. In addition, the voice of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper delivers the "Welcome to Denver, Mile-High City" message that plays prior to arriving at the Main Terminal station. All new music was also composed by Jim Green for the new soundtrack, and the new music primarily uses electric guitar and piano.
One of the most noticeable changes made to the messages themselves was the identification of the concourse stations. Previously referred to as Concourse A, Concourse B, and Concourse C, they are now known as the the stations for all A Gates, B Gates, and C Gates (most signage in the stations, on the LED screens, and throughout the airport has also been changed to reflect this). Another noticeable change dealt with information regarding Baggage Claim monitors in the Main Terminal station. This information was deleted since the monitors themselves were removed from the station years prior.[5]
Since the AGTS's soundtrack utilizes two different voices, some of the train cars have Adele Arakawa's voice installed on them, while the others have Alan Roach's voice. However, Mayor Hickenlooper's voice always announces the "Welcome to Denver, Mile-High City" inside of the trains, regardless of which voice is installed in the individual train car. In the stations, Adele Arakawa's voice is used on the platform for trains traveling in one direction, while Alan Roach is used on the other, making it sound more realistic to the passenger when they are heard from each side of the platform.
[edit] Tunnel Artwork
In addition to the AGTS's audio system, the system's tunnels are home to two of the airport's visual art exhibits. They can be viewed from the windows on the train, and were created because nearly one percent of the total budget for the construction of Denver International Airport was dedicated to artwork.
[edit] Kinetic Light Air Curtain
The northbound tunnel features an art exhibit known as the "Kinetic Light Air Curtain," which was designed by Antonette Rosato and William Maxwell. The exhibit includes 5,280 propellers mounted on the wall, which represents the number of feet Denver (Mile-High City) is located above sea-level. The propellers are accented with blue fluorescent light, and wind from the trains causes them to spin as they pass by.[6]
[edit] Deep Time, Deep Space: A Subterranean Journey
The southbound tunnel contains "Deep Time, Deep Space: A Subterranean Journey," which was designed by Leni Schwendinger. The art display consists of over 5,000 feet of colored reflective metal strips arranged into a variety of images. Various other items such as pick axes and hammers are also featured to accent the scenes. The overall work is inspired by Colorado's industrial and social history.[6]
[edit] System Failure
The AGTS is a highly reliable system. The system is designed to automatically switch into one of eleven different "reduced-service" modes in the event of failure. [3]
However, one major failure took place on April 26, 1998, when a routing cable in the train tunnel was damaged by a loose wheel on one of the trains, cutting the entire system's power and shutting it down. The entire system was out of service for about seven hours, so a fleet of thirty shuttle buses had to be deployed to transport passengers between the concourses since there are no pedestrian walkways connecting to Concourses B and C. United Airlines, DIA's largest airline (who operates out of Concourse B), reported that about 30 percent of their flights and about 5,000 passengers were affected by the failure.[7] The day of the failure is now referred to as "Black Sunday" by airport personnel.[8]
[edit] Popular Culture
The train system is also mentioned in Lee Child's novel Bad Luck and Trouble. The novel's antagonist, who flies into DIA, enjoys hearing the musical chimes that precede the announcements as he travels from his arrival gate to the main terminal on the train (The novel references the system's original soundtrack, which has since been removed).[9]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Weber, Brian. "Fliers can ride the rails on $84 million subway", The Rocky Mountain News, October 25, 1992.
- ^ "Automated People Mover System - Denver International Airport, USA", Bombardier Transportation Official Website. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. (requires Adobe Flash Player)
- ^ a b "The Train (Or Automated Guideway Transit System)", DIA Business Center. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
- ^ a b "Former CBS4 anchor Reynelda Muse Reflects on DIA Voice Work", CBS4 News, May 8, 2007.
- ^ Flynn, Kevin. "New voices coming for DIA trains", The Rocky Mountain News, May 7, 2007.
- ^ a b "About DIA - Public Art Installations", Denver International Airport. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ "Train Accident Disrupts Denver Airport Service", The New York Times, April 27, 1998.
- ^ Zoglin, Richard; Sally B. Donnelly. "Welcome to America's Best Run Airport", Time Magazine, July 15, 2002, pp. 3.
- ^ Calhoun, Patricia. "Bad Guy, Good Music", Westward Blogs, August 1, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Official Denver International Airport website
- YouTube Video of the Train #1 (Old Audio)
- YouTube Video of the Train #2 (New Audio)
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