Skylink

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Skylink
25
Info
Type People mover
Status Operational
Locale Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport serving the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
No. of stations 10
Operation
Opened May 21, 2005
Owner DFW Airport Board
Operator(s) DFW Airport Board
Character Elevated
Rolling stock 64 Bombardier Innovia cars
Technical
Line length 5 mi (8.0 km)
No. of tracks 2
Electrification Third rail
Operating speed 37 mph (60 km/h)

Skylink is the world's largest high-speed airport train system.[1] It is an automated people mover system operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and was created by Bombardier Transportation. It was opened in Spring of 2005 and is completely automated. Skylink trains run every couple minutes and travel at speeds around 35–37 mph (56–60 km/h).[2][3][4]

Skylink's average wait time is two minutes, while the average ride time is five minutes, allowing most passengers to make a connection from any one flight to another in around seven minutes.[5]

The Skylink system uses Bombardier Innovia technology acquired from Bombardier Transportation. Future use of the Innovia technology is planned for implementation in London Heathrow International Airport's T5 terminal in 2008.[2] The Innovia system in DFW utilizes five miles of two-laned, bi-directional, elevated guideway, which connects all ten stations together. Two more future stations can be constructed if a sixth terminal is created. A total of 64 Skylink trains are currently in service at DFW.

Skylink replaced the original Airtrans system (part of which was later referred to as American Airlines' TrAAin system), which was notoriously slow and uni-directional (although it was a state-of-the-art automated system when the airport opened).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Marta, Suzanne. "A lot riding on the train - The speedier Skylink may pull in more connecting fliers - and D/FW revenue", The Dallas Morning News, May 8, 2005, p. 1D. 
  2. ^ a b Bombardier Innovia Technology, Bombardier Transportation Website, 2006-02-03
  3. ^ Lea+Elliot Skylink Project, 2006-02-03
  4. ^ Corgan Associates press release, dated 20 May 2005, retrieved 14 February 2007
  5. ^ Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Website, 2007-02-03

[edit] External links

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Currently operating people mover systems at airports in North America
Atlanta · Chicago O'Hare · Cincinnati · Dallas-Fort Worth · Denver · Detroit · Houston Bush Intercontinental (TerminaLink · Inter-Terminal Train)  · Las Vegas · Mexico City · Miami · Minneapolis-St. Paul · New York JFK · Newark · Orlando · Pittsburgh · San Francisco · Seattle-Tacoma · Tampa · Toronto · Washington Dulles