AirTrain JFK

Not to be confused with JFK Express, the former subway service between JFK and Manhattan.

AirTrain JFK
Overview
OwnerPort Authority of New York and New Jersey
LocaleConnects John F. Kennedy International Airport to various points within Queens, New York City
Stations9
Service
TypePeople mover, airport rail link
Services3
Operator(s)Alstom
Rolling stock32 × Innovia Metro ART 200[1]
Daily ridership29,000 (weekdays, Q3 2024)[2]
Ridership6,737,100 (2023)[3]
History
OpenedDecember 17, 2003 (December 17, 2003)
Technical
Line length8.1 mi (13 km)[4]
CharacterElevated railway
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge[5]
ElectrificationThird rail, 750 V DC[1]
Operating speed60 mph (97 km/h)[6]
Route map
Legend
 Jamaica "E" train"J" train"Z" train
Atlantic Avenue/
94th Avenue
Linden Boulevard
Rockaway Boulevard
Belt Pkwy Shield free.svg Belt Parkway
NY-878.svg
NY 878
Nassau Expy
A train to Inwood–207th St
 Howard Beach "A" train
A train to the Rockaways
 Lefferts Boulevard
(Long-term parking)
 
AirTrain Storage Yards
Federal Circle
(Rental car lots, shuttles)
 
Terminal 1
Terminal 8
Terminal 2/3
(Closed)
Terminal 7
Terminal 4
Terminal 5
This diagram:

AirTrain JFK is an 8.1-mile-long (13 km) elevated people mover system and airport rail link serving John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport) in New York City. The driverless system operates 24/7 and consists of three lines and nine stations within the New York City borough of Queens. It connects the airport's terminals with the New York City Subway at the Howard Beach station in the eponymous neighborhood, and with the Long Island Rail Road and the subway in the Jamaica neighborhood. Alstom operates AirTrain JFK under contract to the airport's operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

A railroad link to JFK Airport had been proposed since the 1940s. Various plans surfaced to build a JFK Airport rail connection until the 1990s, though these were not carried out because of a lack of funding. The JFK Express subway service and shuttle buses provided an unpopular transport system to and around JFK. In-depth planning for a dedicated transport system at JFK began in 1990 but was ultimately cut back from a direct rail link to an intra-borough people mover. Construction of the current people-mover system began in 1998. During construction, AirTrain JFK was the subject of several lawsuits, and an operator died during one of the system's test runs. The system opened on December 17, 2003, after many delays. Several improvements were proposed after the system's opening, including an unbuilt extension to Manhattan. AirTrain JFK originally had ten stations, but the Terminal 2 stop was closed in 2022.

All passengers entering or exiting at either Jamaica or Howard Beach must pay an $8.50 fare, while passengers traveling within the airport can ride for free. The system was originally projected to carry 4 million annual paying passengers and 8.4 million annual inter-terminal passengers every year. The AirTrain has consistently exceeded these projections since opening. In 2023, the system carried a total of 6,737,100 passengers, or about 29,000 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Railway Gazette International 2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Gosling & Freeman 2012, p. 2.
  5. ^ Bombardier Transportation 2004, p. 2.
  6. ^ Englot & Bakas 2002, p. 3.