Airport Transit System

People mover system at O'Hare International Airport

This article is about a people mover in Chicago. For similar systems, see List of airport people mover systems.

Airport Transit System

A Bombardier Innovia APM 256 undergoing testing in May 2021

Overview
Owner| Chicago Department of Aviation
Locale| O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois
Termini|

* Airline Terminal #1 (westbound)
* Consolidated Rental Car Facility

Stations| 5
Website| Official website
Service
Type| People mover
Operator(s)| Chicago Department of Aviation
Rolling stock| Bombardier Innovia APM 256
History
Opened| May 6, 1993 (1993-05-06)[1]
Closed| January 8, 2019 (2019-01-08)[2][3]
Reopened| November 3, 2021 (2021-11-03)[4]
Technical
Line length| 3 mi (4.8 km)
Number of tracks| 2
Character| Elevated
Track gauge| 1,880 mm (6 ft 2 in)
Electrification| Third rail, 750 V DC
Operating speed| 50 mph (80 km/h)

Route map

Airport Transit System highlighted in dark blue

* * *

Show interactive map

Legend

|  |  |

|  | Metra

|  to Antioch

to Chicago Union Station

|  |

|  |  O'Hare Transfer
|  |

|  | Multi-Modal Facility

|  |

|  |

US 12 / US 45 ( | Mannheim

Road

|  |

|  |

Remote Parking

|  |

|  | Terminal 1
|  |

|  | Terminal 2 │ CTA station

|  |

|  | Terminal 3
|  |

|  |  I-190 │ Blue to Forest Park
|  |

|  |

Maintenance facility

|  |

|  | Terminal 5

* * *

All stations are accessible
|  |  |  |  |  |

Key

| ATS |  |

|  | Airport Transit System

|
|
|
|

|  |

|  |  Blue Line
|  |

|  |  North Central Service

(weekdays)

|  |  |  |  |  |

This diagram:

* view
* talk
* edit

Show BSicon diagram map

The Airport Transit System (ATS) is an automated people mover system at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. It opened on May 6, 1993. The ATS moves passengers between the airport terminals and parking facilities, and was designed to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The system was closed for refurbishment and modernization between January 2019 and November 2021.[4]

## History

[edit]

### Planning and construction

[edit]

A Former VAL256 ATS Train In 1996

In 1982, O'Hare officials unveiled the O'Hare Development Plan, a plan to expand the airport with a new international terminal (now called Terminal 5), and an expansion of the domestic terminals. The new international terminal, located away from the domestic terminals, necessitated the creation of a people mover to allow for connections between domestic and international flights. The system was also intended to provide connections to distant parking facilities.[5] The City of Chicago first awarded the contract for the people mover system to Westinghouse Electric, the second lowest bidder, in 1985.[6] After simplifying their initial proposal in response to concerns from City, the contract was re-awarded to low bidder Matra.[7] Ground was broken in 1987 by Mayor Harold Washington, who died later that year. The system ultimately opened in May 1993.[8]

### Modernization and extension

[edit]

As part of a larger, $800 million project involving a new integrated transit center, the ATS began a modernization project in 2018. The expansion included replacing the existing 15-car fleet with 36 new Bombardier Innovia APM 256 vehicles, upgrading the previous infrastructure, and extending the line 2,000 feet (610 m) to the new Multi-Modal Facility on the east side of U.S. 12–45 (Mannheim Road).[9][10] Previously, the line ended at Remote Parking. Remote Parking station still stands, but is disused and trains no longer stop there as the air passenger parking lot the station once served was converted to airport employee parking concurrent with the opening of the Multi-Modal Facility. The system closed in January 2019 for construction and testing of the planned modernization, with airport-funded shuttle buses running in public trafficways servicing the destinations previously serviced by the ATS.[2][11][12] Originally, the ATS was to reopen by Fall of 2019, but this was delayed several times due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, contract disputes, and reliability. The Chicago Department of Aviation reopened the system in November 2021 with a limited schedule.[4] The system returned to 24 hour service in April 2022.[13]

## Service

[edit]

The Airport Transit System operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.[13] The system is free to users and connects O'Hare's terminals to parking lots, and the consolidated rental car facility.

The system is in a "pinched-loop" configuration, which allows more than one train to travel along a track at once while providing service in both directions.[14] The entire system uses platform screen doors, preventing people from leaving the platform, falling on the tracks or tampering with restricted areas.[citation needed]

The system's 36 cars are joined into 3-car trains, with each train able to carry up to 147 passengers.[13]

### Stations

[edit]

ATS stations are fully accessible and provide access to the elevated ATS tracks. The system has two tracks, and each train stops at all five stations traveling in both directions. Its west end is at Terminal 1, at the west end of the terminal core, and it makes a counterclockwise loop around the parking garage with stops at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Parking Garage A (the main garage) is accessible from any of the three terminal stations, as is the O'Hare terminal of the CTA's Blue Line. Parking Lots B and C are only accessible from Terminal 1 and 3 stations, respectively. It takes 10 minutes to travel from Terminal 1 to the consolidated rental car facility.[13]

Outside the terminal loop, the ATS travels east to Terminal 5, the airport's international terminal. It then turns north, crosses over the main access road and Blue Line, and crosses Mannheim Road to reach the consolidated rental car facility, which is the terminal for Pace bus routes 250, 330, and the Pulse Dempster Line. The facility also connects with the O'Hare Transfer station on Metra's North Central Service, providing commuter rail service to Chicago Union Station inbound and Antioch outbound during service hours. Currently, the Metra station is open on weekdays only. [15]

### Fleet

[edit]

Interior of newly operated Innovia APM256 Cars in 2021

The ATS originally used the French-based VAL technology, which features fully automated, rubber-tired people mover cars that previously saw use on the Jacksonville Skyway until 1989. The system is capable of traveling at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h), and now uses 12 3-car Bombardier Innovia APM 256 trains, which replaced the previous 15 Matra VAL 256 vehicles.[16]

As of 2023, the previous 15 VAL trains are sitting in a vacant lot on airport property near Irving Park Road and Taft Avenue.[17]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Fornek, Scott (May 6, 1993). "Moving Experience Ready at O'Hare". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 4\. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
2. ^ a b Wisniewski, Mary (December 31, 2018). "O'Hare 'people mover' will shut down completely until the fall". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
3. ^ Martin, Kye (November 4, 2019). "Reopening of 'People Mover' at O'Hare Airport Delayed Again". NBC Chicago. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
4. ^ a b c Freishtat, Sarah (November 2, 2021). "After years of delays, O'Hare's 'people mover' to reopen Wednesday on a limited schedule". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
5. ^ O'Hare Development Program. Chicago, Illinois: City of Chicago. 1982. p. 10.
6. ^ Frantz, Douglas (May 21, 1985). "City Takes Step Back on People Mover Bid". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
7. ^ Baquet, Dean (September 17, 1985). "'People Mover' Sweepstakes". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
8. ^ Washburn, Gary (May 6, 1993). "O'Hare Set to Really Move You". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
9. ^ "Bombardier to Supply INNOVIA Automated People Mover System to Chicago O'Hare International Airport". bombardier.com. Bombardier Transportation. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
10. ^ Wisniewski, Mary (May 24, 2018). "Get ready for buses at O'Hare this year as 'people mover' gets rehab". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
11. ^ Martin, Kye (November 4, 2019). "Reopening of 'People Mover' at O'Hare Airport Delayed Again". NBC Chicago. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
12. ^ Bradley, Ben (May 19, 2021). "'It's a disgrace, frankly': The O'Hare trains to nowhere". WGN-TV. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
13. ^ a b c d Freishtat, Sarah (April 18, 2022). "After years of construction, O'Hare 'people mover' resumes 24-hour service". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
14. ^ Elliott, Dennis M.; Norton, Jack (1999). "An introduction to airport APM systems". Journal of Advanced Transportation. 33 (1): 35–50\. doi:10.1002/atr.5670330105. ISSN 2042-3195. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
15. ^ "O'Hare International Airport Visitors Guide" (PDF). October 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2007.
16. ^ Gary, Dennis; Art Peterson. A technology alternative to the VAL system on the O'Hare Airport Transit System (OATS). Proceedings of the 2000 ASME/IEEE Joint Railroad Conference, Newark, NJ, USA, 2000. IEEE. doi:10.1109/RRCON.2000.870001. S2CID 109698833. Paid subscription
17. ^ What Happened to the Old O’Hare ATS?, retrieved December 23, 2023

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Airport Transit System at Wikimedia Commons
* Official web page

* v
* t
* e

O'Hare International Airport

Facilities|

* Airport Transit System
* Blue Line (CTA)
* Brachiosaurus replica
* O'Hare station
* O'Hare Transfer station

Events|

* 1972 Chicago–O'Hare runway collision
* 2006 O'Hare International Airport UFO sighting
* 2014 O'Hare station train crash
* 2017 United Express passenger removal

* v
* t
* e

People mover systems at airports in North America

Current|

* Atlanta
* Plane Train
* SkyTrain
* Chicago–O'Hare
* Cincinnati
* Dallas–Fort Worth
* Denver
* Detroit
* Houston–Bush
* Skyway
* Subway
* Las Vegas
* Maui
* Mexico City
* Miami
* e Train
* Skytrain
* Mover
* Minneapolis–St. Paul
* New York JFK
* Newark
* Oakland
* Orlando
* Phoenix
* Pittsburgh
* Sacramento
* San Francisco
* Seattle–Tacoma
* Tampa
* Toronto–Pearson
* Washington–Dulles

Future|

* Los Angeles

Defunct|

* Dallas–Fort Worth
* Vought Airtrans
* Dallas Love Field
* Hartford–Bradley
* Tampa (Long-Term Parking Monorail)

Proposed|

* Albuquerque
* Boston
* Charlotte
* Denver (Landside APM)
* Fort Lauderdale
* Philadelphia
* San Jose

Cancelled|

* New York (LaGuardia)

* v
* t
* e

Rail transit in the Chicago metropolitan area

* Chicago Union Station
* LaSalle Street Station
* Millennium Station
* Ogilvie Transportation Center

Rapid transit|

* Chicago "L"
* Red Line
* Blue Line
* Green Line
* Brown Line
* Orange Line
* Purple Line
* Yellow Line
* Pink Line
* Loop

Commuter rail|

| Current
services|

* Metra
* Heritage Corridor
* Milwaukee District North
* Milwaukee District West
* North Central Service
* SouthWest Service
* Rock Island District
* Metra Electric District
* Union Pacific North Line
* Union Pacific Northwest Line
* Union Pacific West Line
* BNSF Railway
* BNSF Line
* NICTD
* South Shore Line

|

Former
services|

* Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Chicago–Joliet)
* Calumet
* Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad (Chicago–Momence)
* Chicago and Erie Railroad (Chicago–Rochester)
* Chicago and North Western Railroad (Chicago–St. Charles/Aurora/Freeport/Crystal Lake, Kenosha–Harvard)
* Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad (Chicago–Dolton)
* Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Aurora–West Chicago, Aurora–Geneva)
* Chicago Great Western Railway (Chicago–DeKalb)
* Grand Trunk Western Railroad (Chicago–Valparaiso)
* Illinois Central West Line
* New York Central Railroad (Chicago–Elkhart, Gary–Joliet)
* Pennsylvania Railroad (Chicago–East Chicago, Chicago–Crown Point, Chicago–Valparaiso),

Streetcar|

* Kenosha Streetcar
* Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric
* Chicago and West Towns Railway
* Chicago City Railway
* Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
* Chicago Surface Lines
* Evanston Railway Company
* Gary Railways
* Hammond, Whiting and East Chicago Railway

Interurban|

* South Shore Line
* Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric
* Aurora, Plainfield and Joliet Railroad
* Chicago and Interurban Traction Company
* Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway
* Chicago, Aurora and DeKalb Railroad
* Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
* Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
* Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria Railway
* Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company
* Fox and Illinois Union Railway
* Joliet and Eastern Traction Company
* Woodstock and Sycamore Traction Company

Inter-city|

* Amtrak
* List of historical intercity services

People mover|

* Airport Transit System

Agencies|

* Chicago Transit Authority
* Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
* Regional Transportation Authority
* Kenosha Area Transit

Italics denote lines or services which are no longer in operation.

* v
* t
* e

Public transit in Illinois

Statewide|

* Amtrak
* Barons Bus Lines
* Burlington Trailways
* Flixbus
* Greyhound Lines
* Peoria Charter Coach Company
* Van Galder Bus Company
* Wisconsin Coach Lines
* List of intercity bus stops in Illinois

Chicagoland|

* Airport Transit System
* Chicago Transit Authority
* "L"
* Metra
* Pace
* Pace Pulse
* South Shore Line

Metro East|

* Metro Transit:
* MetroBus
* MetroLink
* Madison County Transit
* St. Clair County Transit District

North|

* Beloit Transit
* DeKalb Public Transit
* Galesburg Transit
* Go West Transit
* Quad Cities MetroLINK
* River Valley Metro Mass Transit District
* Rockford Mass Transit District

Central|

* Champaign County Area Rural Transit System
* Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District
* Coles County Zipline
* Connect Transit
* Danville Mass Transit
* Decatur Public Transit System
* Greater Peoria Mass Transit District
* Quincy Transit Lines
* Sangamon Mass Transit District
* SHOW Bus

South|

* Jackson County Mass Transit District
* Monroe Randolph Transit District
* Rides Mass Transit District
* Shawnee Mass Transit District
* South Central Illinois Mass Transit District

Transportation in Illinois

* v
* t
* e

Railroads of Illinois

Common carriers|

* A&R Terminal Railroad
* Ag Valley Railroad
* Alton and Southern Railway
* Belt Railway of Chicago
* Bloomer Shippers Connecting Railroad
* BNSF Railway
* Burlington Junction Railway
* Canadian National Railway
* Grand Trunk Western Railroad
* Illinois Central Railroad
* Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad
* Wisconsin Central
* Central Illinois Railroad
* Chicago–Chemung Railroad
* Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad
* Chicago Port Railroad
* Chicago Rail Link
* Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
* City of Rochelle Railroad
* Coffeen and Western Railroad
* Canadian Pacific Kansas City
* Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad
* Kansas City Southern Railway
* Soo Line Railroad
* Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway
* CSX Transportation
* Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad
* Decatur Central Railroad
* Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad
* Decatur Junction Railway
* Eastern Illinois Railroad
* Effingham Railroad
* Evansville Western Railway
* Gateway Eastern Railway
* Illinois and Midland Railroad
* Illinois Railway
* Illinois Western Railroad
* Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
* Indiana Rail Road
* Iowa Interstate Railroad
* Joppa and Eastern Railroad
* Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad
* Keokuk Junction Railway
* Lincoln and Southern Railroad
* Manufacturers' Junction Railway
* Manufacturers Railway
* Norfolk Southern Railway
* Peoria and Pekin Union Railway
* Peru Industrial Railroad
* Pioneer Industrial Railway
* Port Harbor Railroad
* Riverport Railroad
* Shawnee Terminal Railway
* South Chicago and Indiana Harbor Railway
* Southern Illinois and Missouri Bridge Company
* Tazewell and Peoria Railroad
* Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis
* Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
* Union Pacific Railroad
* Vandalia Railroad
* Vermilion Valley Railroad
* Wisconsin and Southern Railroad

Passenger carriers|

* Airport Transit System
* Amtrak
* Chicago "L"
* Metra
* MetroLink
* South Shore Line

Private carriers|

* Bulkmatic Railroad
* C&C Railroad
* Calumet Transload & Railroad
* Captain Mine
* Chicago Heights Terminal Transfer Railroad
* Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad
* DOT Rail Service
* FNG Logistics Company
* Joliet Junction Railroad
* Kaskaskia Regional Port District Railroad
* Mokena Illinois Railroad
* North American Industrial Railway
* Peabody Energy
* Peoria, Peoria Heights and Western Railroad
* Respondek Railroad Corporation

Heritage railroads|

* Fox River Trolley Museum
* Illinois Railway Museum
* Monticello Railway Museum
* Silver Creek & Stephenson Railroad

* See also: Former carriers in Illinois
* List of United States railroads by political division

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template