Final phase of Phoenix Sky Harbor’s rail train system to open
The final stage of of the PHX Sky Train has been completed and will open later this week to the public.
The train system that connects the terminals of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to its parking lots and public transit stops now has been extended to a new station in Phoenix at 24th Street and Buckeye Road and to the Sky Harbor Rental Car Station.
The project cost $745 million to complete. It was funded with rental car customer facility charges and airline passenger facility charges. Phoenix boasts that no tax dollars were used for the completion of the final phase of the Sky Train.
The project not only connects the airport from the west, it will free up space on the roads around the freeway by eliminating the need for buses and shuttles to the rental car facility.
“The new PHX Sky Train extension is a perfect example of why I believe Phoenix is the city of the future,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, said in a statement. “Phoenix is a hub for innovation, and we are constantly using data-driven technology to make life easier for our residents, as well as our visitors.”
Other project improvements include enhancements at Sky Train’s maintenance and support facility. The size of the facility was doubled, increasing storage and created an automated vehicle wash.
Phoenix also added 24 new cars to Sky Train operations, which currently has 18 vehicles. Each car has a capacity of 53 passengers. Sky Harbor estimates that 79,000 people will use the Sky Train every day.