Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Trams
| Hub Tram | |
|---|---|
Otis Hovair | |
| History | |
| Opened | April 3, 2001[1] |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 1,100 feet (340 m)[1] |
| 'C' Concourse People Mover | |
|---|---|
Otis steel-on-steel cable cars | |
| History | |
| Opened | May 5, 2004[2] |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 2,700 feet (820 m)[2] |
The Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Trams consist of a pair of
and are operated under the direction of the Metropolitan Airports Commission.Hub Tram
The older of the two systems, the Hub Tram, opened on April 3, 2001.
'C' Concourse People Mover
The newer of the two systems, the 'C' Concourse People Mover, opened on May 5, 2004.[2] Covering a distance of 2,700 feet (820 m), this tram is designed to quickly transport passengers between the concourses of the Lindbergh Terminal.[4] Costing $36 million to complete, the 'C' Concourse tram was originally scheduled to open on June 1, 2002, but computer software problems and a collision with the vehicles resulted in postponing its opening to 2004.[5] The four cars utilized in this system have an average top speed of 26 miles per hour (42 km/h)[5] and, although the appearance of the vehicles is similar to the Hub Tram, they use steel wheels on steel tracks as the 'C' Concourse line is above ground and open to the elements, where ice and snow could interfere with the operation of the air cushions had it been built with Hovair technology.
References
- ^ a b c d e Wascoe Jr., Dan (April 3, 2001). "Airport tram begins running today". Star Tribune. pp. 2B.
- ^ a b c Wascoe Jr., Dan (May 5, 2004). "Airport tram gets people moving today". Star Tribune. pp. 3B.
- ^ "MSP International Airport: Hub Tram". Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "MSP International Airport: Concourse C". Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ a b Wascoe Jr., Dan (October 9, 2003). "Airport tram has that empty feeling". Star Tribune. pp. 2B.