THE AUTOMATED TRAIN
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Studies show that automated trains are the 
most efficient way to move people through airports. Automated trains at Sky Harbor could potentially result in more than 20,000 fewer vehicles per day at the airport – nearly 20 percent of a day’s traffic – and significantly reduce curb congestion and pollution.
A new gateway to Sky Harbor will be created at 44th Street and Washington. The Airport automated train station will have ticketing kiosks and the possibility of remote baggage check-in facilities is being explored. This station is just a short walk in an air conditioned pedestrian walkway from the 44th Street METRO light rail stop.
The elevated train will help relieve traffic jams, reduce wait times, provide hassle-free travel in climate controlled vehicles and connect to the Valley’s light rail and bus systems. Equally important, the train will accommodate our region’s future growth and be a welcomed addition to Sky Harbor’s renowned customer service.
The Airport automated train, free to the public, 
will run 24-hours with predictable travel times—arriving at stations about every three minutes during peak periods and delivering passengers to their destinations within about five minutes of boarding.
It will operate similarly to trains serving the Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas and San Francisco airports—able to travel in both directions. The train cars will easily and safely accommodate wheelchairs, strollers and baggage carts.
The automated train will be completed in two phases. Stage I will start at 44th Street and Washington, then move south to the East Economy parking lot station and west to Terminal 4. This approximately two-mile long segment will be complete in 2013.
Stage II will connect with Stage I at Terminal 4 and head west through Sky Harbor to Terminal 3, to the new Terminal 2, then to the West Economy parking station and Rental Car Center, before returning eastbound along the same route. Stage II is expected to begin in 2016 and open by 2020.
