Denver International Airport Automated Guideway Transit System

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Denver International Airport AGT System
DIA Train 1.JPG
Passengers boarding at Concourse C
Overview
LocaleDenver International Airport, Colorado
TerminiMain Terminal
Concourse C
Stations4
Service
TypePeople mover
Operator(s)City & County of Denver Department of Aviation
Rolling stock31 Bombardier Innovia APM 100 vehicles
History
OpenedFebruary 28, 1995
Technical
Line length1.25 mi (2 km)
CharacterServes sterile parts of the airport
Highest elevationUnderground
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Route map

Legend
Main Terminal  A 
A Gates
B Gates
C Gates
This diagram:
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The Denver International Airport Automated Guideway Transit System is a people mover system operating at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado. The system opened along with the airport itself in 1995, and was conceived as a means to connect all of the midfield concourses with the south terminal and quickly transport passengers between them because of the longer distances between each building, especially when compared to Stapleton International Airport, Denver's former airport.[1]

Layout and operation[]

Boarding Platform at Terminal Station. The platform on the other side is for exiting passengers

Located within the secure areas of the airport, the AGTS utilizes two mile-long tunnels traveling underneath the aircraft taxiways and passing through the center on the concourse buildings. Four stations exist, serving each airside concourse (Concourses A, B, and C) and the Terminal (which serves Ground Transportation and Baggage Claim). While it is possible to walk from the main terminal to Concourse A via a pedestrian bridge over the taxiway, the train is the only way for the public to access Concourses B and C.

The cars themselves ride on rubber wheels and roll along a concrete track. Each station has an island platform, and the Terminal station also includes additional side platforms on the outside of each track. Trains arriving at the Terminal from the concourses unload passengers and then switch to the northbound track at a crossover south of the Terminal station. Before 2017, the train operation used the Spanish solution, when a train arrives at the Terminal, the outboard doors open first to allow arriving passengers to exit before inboard doors then open, allowing departing passengers to board, with the train using a crossover north of the Terminal station. The change to the current configuration allowed more trains to enter and exit the terminal station at an expedited pace. Crossover tracks also exist between each station, so traffic can be routed around stalled or disabled trains if necessary.[1] A maintenance facility is located just beyond the Concourse C station, which is also where trains reverse at the north end.

The AGTS's layout is based on The Plane Train at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and the systems are nearly identical.

Transit art[]

The interior of the Innovia APM 100 vehicles

Nearly one percent of the construction budget for Denver International Airport was dedicated to artwork and art installations. The AGTS is home to three of the airport's art installations.

"Train Call"[]

"Train Call" is an audio installation on the AGTS that includes a variety of short musical sound effects and jingles that precede the system's pre-recorded station and warning announcements. The announcements are delivered by well-known voice talent from the Denver area. Train Call was recorded by sound artist Jim Green, who intended for the sound effects to be playful, friendly, and memorable.[2] Green is also known for recording the audio for the singing sinks in the restrooms at the Denver Art Museum, the "Laughing Escalators" at the Denver Convention Center, and the "Musical Warning Beacons" on the baggage carousels at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Train Call currently features the voices of former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies announcer Alan Roach, and local KUSA-TV anchor Kim Christiansen.[3] The announcements are preceded by western-style electric guitar and piano sound effects.[4]

In addition to Roach and Christiansen, passengers are welcomed to Denver by the voice of Mayor Michael Hancock prior to arriving at the Terminal and Baggage Claim station. His welcome includes portions in both Spanish and English. Former mayors John Hickenlooper and Bill Vidal delivered the welcome message during their respective tenures as Mayor of Denver. The welcome greeting has been delivered by other notable locals during special events, such as in 2014 and 2016 when Denver Broncos advanced to the Super Bowl, where a recording by Champ Bailey was used, or a recording by skier Lindsey Vonn during the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Train call has been updated twice in the airport's history. The original edition of Train Call, which ran from the airport's opening in 1995 until 2007 and also recorded by Jim Green, featured the voices of local radio broadcaster Pete Smythe and former KCNC-TV anchor Reynelda Muse, who is notable for being the first woman and first African American to anchor a television news program in Colorado.[5][6] A different set of sound effects accompanied the original voices which mostly came from bells and woodwind instruments and were based on western folk songs, such as "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" and "Home on the Range."[7]

The original edition of Train Call was retired in 2007. The voices of Alan Roach and former KUSA-TV anchor Adele Arakawa debuted at this time, along with the current set of sound effects. The messages were changed to remove outdated wording, with the most noticeable change being the reference to the concourse stations. The original audio announced "This train is approaching Concourse A," where it now says "We are approaching the station for all 'A' Gates." Station signage was also changed to reflect this. Some information regarding Baggage Claim monitors in the Terminal station also caused confusion and needed to be removed from the messages, since the monitors themselves were removed from the station years prior.

In 2018, Adele Arakawa's voice was replaced by Kim Christiansen, who was also Arakawa's successor as evening anchor at KUSA-TV. Christiansen was selected via and online poll conducted by the airport. The airport had intended to replace Roach's voice as well, but he auditioned again and was selected by the same online poll.[8]

"Kinetic Light Air Curtain"[]

The Kinetic Light Air Curtain

The northbound tunnel features a visual art installation known as the "Kinetic Light Air Curtain". Designed by Antonette Rosato and William Maxwell, the exhibit includes 5,280 propellers mounted on the wall. The propellers are accented with blue fluorescent light, and wind from the trains causes some of them to spin as they pass by. The number of propellers represents the number of feet Denver (the mile-high city) is located above sea level. Also, the total number of blades of all of the propellers combined represents the height of Colorado's tallest fourteener, Mount Elbert, which is 14,440 ft (4.40 km) tall. Contrary to common belief, the propellers do not generate any electricity for the trains or any part of the airport, and are strictly decorative.[9]

"Deep Time/Deep Space, A Subterranean Journey"[]

The southbound tunnel contains the exhibit "Deep Time, Deep Space: A Subterranean Journey." Designed by Leni Schwendinger, this art display primarily consists of over 5,000 feet (1,500 m) of colored reflective metal strips arranged into a variety of images. Various other items, sheet metal cut-outs of pick axes and hammers stand out from the tunnel walls to accent the scenes. The exhibit gradually transitions from displaying examples of older technology to newer space-age technology. The art is lighted by an advanced lighting system, which is activated by photoelectric sensors which detect passing trains. The overall work is inspired by Colorado's industrial and mining history.[10]

History[]

Concourse C Platform

The AGTS project was announced publicly in October 1992 at a cost of $84 million, and it opened with the airport on February 28, 1995. The initial system consisted of 16 cars that were paired together in groups of four to traverse the length of the tunnel.[1]

Six more vehicles were added to the system by 1995, and an additional five were added in 2001. Today, the fleet consists of 31 Bombardier Innovia APM 100 vehicles, which have a maximum capacity of 100 passengers.[11] Trains generally run at 1.5 minute intervals during peak times resulting in an 11-minute travel time from end to end.[12]

Failure[]

The train system is essential for the airport to function at its full capacity since it provides the only passenger access to Concourses B and C. In rare instances of the train system being out of service, shuttle buses have been used. While the system is highly reliable, one major system failure took place on April 26, 1998. A routing cable in the train tunnel was damaged by a loose wheel on one of the trains, cutting the entire system's power. The system was out of service for about seven hours. United Airlines, DIA's largest airline (who operates a large hub out of Concourse B), reported that about 30 percent of their flights and about 5,000 passengers were affected by the failure.[13] The day of the failure is now referred to as "Black Sunday" by airport personnel.[14]

Gallery[]

  • Overhead view of Concourse A Station

  • Overhead view of Concourse C Station

  • New LCD platform display

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Weber, Brian (October 25, 1992). "Fliers can ride the rails on $84 million subway". The Rocky Mountain News.
  2. ^ Sakas, Michael Elizabeth (22 November 2016). "Love DIA? Make Your Phone Sound Like The Terminal Train". CPR News. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  3. ^ Sheldon, Bobbi. "New voices of DIA's 'Train Call' announced". 9News (KUSA-TV). Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  4. ^ Sakas, Michael. "Love DIA? Make Your Phone Sound Like The Terminal Train". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  5. ^ "FROM BLACK & WHITE TO DIGITAL COLOR: CHANNELS 4 & 7 TURN 50". Advertising & Marketing Review. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Reynelda Muse". Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Train Call (Jim Green - Sound Art Installation)". Retrieved 2011-04-26.
  8. ^ Harden, Mike (28 February 2018). "And the new DIA train voices are…". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Kinetic Light Air Curtain" (Denver International Airport: Public Art Installations) Archived 2007-10-03 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Deep Time/Deep Space, a Subterranean Journey" (Denver International Airport: Public Art Installations) Archived 2007-10-03 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Bombardier Transportation - Denver International Airport Archived 2008-11-22 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ The Train (Or Automated Guideway Transit System) (Denver International Airport) Archived 2007-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Train Accident Disrupts Denver Airport Service". The New York Times. 1998-04-27.
  14. ^ Zoglin, Richard; Sally B. Donnelly (2002-07-15). "Welcome to America's Best Run Airport". Time Magazine. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008.

External links[]

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