The MIA e Train is one of three automated people mover systems operating at

Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the greater Miami metropolitan area with over 1,000 daily flights to 167 domestic and international destinations, including most co ...

(along with the Skytrain and the MIA Mover). The MIA e Train connects the satellite building of Concourse E (which contains gates E20-E33) with the rest of Concourse E (Gates E2-E11) which is connected to the main terminal. The system opened in 2016 replacing an earlier system and was built at a cost of $87 million.

Operation

The MIA e Train consists of two three-car cable-driven

MiniMetro MiniMetro is a family of cable propelled automated people mover systems built by HTI Group. The vehicles either run on rails or an air cushion and have either a detachable grip (to the cable) or a fixed grip. Leitner has a test track for the v ...

trains developed by

Leitner-Poma Leitner-Poma of America, known simply as Leitner-Poma, is a United States aerial lift manufacturer based in Grand Junction, Colorado. It is the American subsidiary of French-based Poma, which is owned by the Italian company HTI Group. The North Am ...

(unlike the Skytrain and MIA Mover which use

Mitsubishi Crystal Mover The Crystal Mover is a rubber-tired automated people mover (APM) system for airport and light rail applications manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Mihara, Japan. The Crystal Mover, initially based on the Japanese APM standard, is use ...

vehicles). The two trains run on parallel independent guideways and shuttle back and forth between the two stations.

History

The MIA e Train opened in 2016 and replaced an earlier system that was built in 1980. The original system, which did not have an official name, was built by the

Westinghouse Electric Corporation The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was renamed "Westinghouse Electric Corporation" in ...

, whose transportation division is now owned by

Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...

. It was Westinghouse's second airport people mover system in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, after the

Tampa International Airport People Movers The Tampa International Airport People Movers are a set of automated people mover systems operating within Tampa International Airport. The primary set of people movers are automated guideway transit (AGT) systems that connect the airport's main ...

. It operated in a similar fashion to the current system and used six Westinghouse C-100 vehicles in two three-car trains, which were also the same vehicles that originally operated on Downtown Miami's

Metromover Metromover is a free mass transit automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, Florida, United States. Metromover serves the Downtown Miami, Brickell, Park West and Arts & Entertainment District neighborhoods. M ...

, which opened in 1986. By the mid 2000s, the system was showing its age. On November 28, 2008, the train on the south guideway failed to stop at the main station and crashed into the wall at the end of the line, injuring seven people. After the crash, the system continued to operate with only the train on the north guideway with the south guideway taken out of service. When the system was replaced with the MIA e Train, the out-of-service south guideway was converted first with the north train and guideway being converted and replaced once the south train was operational.

References

{{North American airport people movers Transportation in Miami Airport people mover systems in the United States Railway lines opened in 2016 Miami International Airport 2010 establishments in Florida

Operation

History

See also

References