The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will begin the next phase of construction on the AirTrain Newark replacement project, starting work on the guideway and track structure between Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station and the P4 station. This $3.5 billion project aims to modernize transportation at Newark Liberty International Airport, one of several major facilities managed by the agency across its 1,500-square-mile port district in New York and New Jersey (https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority).
As construction begins on Thursday, Jan. 15, weekday service between the P4 station and the Airport Train Station will be suspended from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., replaced by shuttle buses serving all airport terminals, rental car facilities, and parking locations. Passengers are advised to plan for up to 15 minutes of additional travel time during these outages. The existing AirTrain system will continue operating between P4, Terminal C, Terminal B, P3, and Terminal A stations during this period.
AirTrain Newark will maintain normal operations on weekends. Outages will pause during peak travel seasons—between Memorial Day and Labor Day—and again from Oct. 30, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027 for holiday travel. Additional outages are planned for subsequent years as construction progresses.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole stated: “Replacing AirTrain Newark is critical to the future of Newark Liberty International Airport. This next phase of construction moves that work from planning to visible progress, while ensuring travelers continue to have reliable ways to reach terminals, parking, and transit connections during construction.”
Executive Director Rick Cotton added: “This project is about building a system that can keep pace with Newark Liberty’s growth for decades to come. We appreciate passengers’ patience during these temporary changes, enabling us to advance construction of a modern, high-capacity AirTrain that will deliver a smoother, more dependable experience for millions of passengers each year.”
The current AirTrain opened in 1996 but has become outdated and over capacity as passenger numbers have grown from about 30 million annually in its opening year to nearly 50 million in 2024 at Newark Liberty International Airport alone (https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority). The new automated system is expected to open in 2030 with improved reliability and expanded capacity—handling up to 50,000 passengers per day compared with the current system’s limit of about 33,000.
During weekday outages starting Jan. 15:
– Shuttle buses will run every four to five minutes.
– All shuttles are ADA-compliant.
– Staff will assist travelers with disabilities or heavy luggage.
– Passengers arriving via NJ TRANSIT or Amtrak should use shuttle buses from the Airport Train Station.
– For those departing via NJ TRANSIT or Amtrak: passengers from Terminals B or C should take AirTrain service to P4 then transfer; those from Terminal A should use shuttle buses directly.
Travel times between key points may increase significantly; for example:
– Airport Train Station–Terminal A: approximately 35 minutes
– Airport Train Station–Terminal B: approximately 25 minutes
– Airport Train Station–Terminal C: approximately 30 minutes
The Port Authority funds projects like this through its own revenues rather than relying on external funding sources (https://limpar.locallabs.com/organizations/7c7bfb14-bd96-48cd-a6ca-8a08f69e7a7e). Its investments aim not only at maintaining but also expanding regional transportation infrastructure (https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority).
Additional redevelopment plans include new terminal buildings—such as replacing Terminal B and enhancing Terminal C—to accommodate further passenger growth alongside continued improvements in airside taxiways and landside access roads.
A new entry point is also planned for local residents at the Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station so they can access both airport services via AirTrain and New York City within ten minutes using NJ TRANSIT.
For more information about assistance during outages or accessible services at stations—including elevators and stairs—passengers can call customer support or coordinate with their airline ahead of travel.
The Port Authority continues its mission as an interstate agency established in 1921 under a U.S. Constitution clause overseeing vital transportation assets such as airports—including John F. Kennedy International Airport—and rail systems like PATH (https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority).
