On Monday, November 27, the Denver City Council approved a $162 million maintenance and operations contract for Denver International Airport's underground train system.
Denver International Airport's train system is about to get a few upgrades. And no, we're not talking about the competition the airport is holding to find its new train voices. A new $162 million contract has been approved by the city council in order to improve the airport's train system. The contract covers maintenance and operations of the trains, tracks, tunnels, infrastructure, and power system for the next seven years. Officials at the airport are hoping to expand the system's capacity through the addition of more cars that will link the three concourses to the terminal. Bombardier Transportation Holdings USA, the current train operator, will also be adding 15 new employees -- 13 of whom will focus primarily on operations and overall maintenance of the trains and tracks. "The new contract places an increased focus on maintenance and operations of the system, recognizing that the system is aging," said DIA spokesman Heath Montgomery.
The underground train system has been the glue that holds the airport together for nearly 22 years, since the airport first opened in 1995. Originally, the system cost $84 million at the time of construction. Today, the price would be nearly $138 million when adjusting for inflation.
The underground train system is not the only part of DIA that will be experiencing renovations. Earlier this year, the city council approved a $1.8 billion contract to renovate the Jeppesen Terminal and add 39 more gates in order to meet the increase of passenger traffic.
What are your thoughts on the new updates Denver International Airport will be having over the next few years? Do you think the expansion of the terminal and gates will help with passenger traffic? Let us know in the comments below.
