Denver International Airport announces arrival of new train car

New train cars. CREDIT: DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Denver International Airport (DEN) announced the arrival of the first new train car from manufacturer Alstom as DEN begins upgrading its train that carries passengers between the Terminal and Concourses A, B and C. A total of 26 train cars are expected to arrive in Denver throughout 2024, with the first vehicles carrying passengers by the summer travel rush.

“Passenger traffic at DEN is expected to reach more than 78 million by the end of this year alone, and 100 million annual passengers are expected within the next three to five years. We are preparing for the future in a variety of ways, including renovating the Great Hall, adding gates to concourses, and adding capacity to the train to the gates,” said Denver International Airport ‘s CEO Phil Washington. “New train cars will increase the number of passengers that can be moved to the gates by approximately 850 per hour. They will reduce the time between arriving trains and allow us to run a more effective operating schedule. These efficiencies are going to be felt by passengers and make for a more seamless experience at DEN.”

In addition to increasing capacity, these new Alstom train cars are also more energy efficient. The lightweight aluminium car bodies are assembled using recyclable materials and a more efficient use of power supply provides a greater than 30% improvement in energy consumption. This is the first vehicle of its type delivered in North America.

There are currently 31 train cars in DEN’s feet; sixteen of those are 29 years old and have exceeded their useful life with more than 1.4 million miles. The new cars that will be operational by summer 2024, including the first one that arrived, and are part of a plan to replace those 16 oldest cars. DEN is expanding the train fleet to 41 vehicles during 2024, with additional expansion under consideration. This will help ensure the airport can accommodate current and future passenger volume while maintaining these critical assets.

DEN currently operates a dynamic schedule based on passenger volume and can operate a maximum of seven, four-car trains during peak times. With the additional cars, the airport will be able to operate up to eight four-car trains, providing increased capacity. DEN is also evaluating the expansion of train car configurations, delivering more capacity and passenger convenience as the facility nears 100 million annual passengers.