Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, US, is set to open the $1.58bn PHX Sky Train on 8 April 2013.
Following the opening, the Sky Train will connect Phoenix Sky Harbor passengers between Terminal 4, the East Economy parking area and the Metro light rail station at 44th Street and Washington in Phoenix.
Trains will arrive and depart every three to four minutes and operate 24 hours a day and year-round, free of charge.
Passengers will be able to access the trains from level three of Terminal 4, which serves 80% of Sky Harbor's travellers.
From Terminal 4 it will be a two-minute ride to the East Economy parking area and a five-minute ride to the 44th Street light rail station.
Passengers will be able to print their boarding passes using kiosks at the Sky Train stations, as well as use pet park services.
An early bag check option will also be introduced at the 44th Street Station, which allows people travelling on Southwest Airlines or US Airways to check their bags at the station for free.
The Sky Train is scheduled to begin service at Terminal 3 with a walkway to Terminal 2 in early 2015; by that time the service will also continue on to the airport's rental car centre.
Funded through airport revenues and passenger fees, the project cost $644m for Stage 1, $240m for Stage 1a, while the remaining funds will be spent on Stage 2.
Stage 1 of the project involves 1.7 miles of track, while Stage 1a is 0.7 miles and Stage 2 will extend the line by an additional 2.5 miles.
The driverless train will have two or three cars and can operate between 23mph and 38mph, with each car providing seating for 53 passengers.
Image: The new PHX Sky Train, scheduled to open on 8 April 2013, will connect Phoenix Sky Harbor passengers between Terminal 4, the East Economy car park and the Metro light rail station at 44th Street and Washington. Photo: courtesy of the City of Phoenix.
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