Four new generation automated passenger transport (APM) vehicles were put into service on Friday. These are the first of 63 Innovia APM R vehicles that Alstom is producing for the airport to modernize and expand its shuttle fleet. This expanded fleet, combined with improvements to the guidance system, will allow the airport to increase the frequency of shuttles, thereby reducing waiting times and the risk of congestion for travelers.
“We committed to increasing the capacity of the Plane Train system before Atlanta hosted its first World Cup match this month, and we are proud to have kept our word,†said Michael Keroullé, Alstom President of the Americas, adding: “Today’s announcement marks an important milestone in our decades-long partnership with the city of Atlanta, and continues the World Cup’s transportation legacy. This project will allow passengers and employees to move around the airport more quickly and more comfortably for many years to come. HAS”
An exceptional partnership
Alstom designed and installed the Plane Train shuttle system 45 years ago and has been operating and maintaining it ever since. The fast, efficient and driverless Innovia APM system is essential to the smooth operation of the world’s largest airport, connecting seven concourses and two terminals via a 4.5 km underground network. Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the system carried a record 95 million passengers in 2025. Earlier this year, Alstom won a new contract forcontinue to ensure maintenance of the system for at least five additional years.
The third generation Innovia APM R shuttles bring modern performance to existing systems without requiring major modernization work. The new trains are quieter, easier to maintain and more energy efficient than previous models, and offer passengers improved lighting, modernized information screens and advanced door safety systems, with obstacle detection. Manufactured in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, the new trainsets will replace older vehicles and bring Atlanta Airport’s total fleet to 73 trainsets.
At the same time, Alstom has carried out significant infrastructure improvements to optimize network performance. A new turnaround track along the guide rails allows the shuttles to change direction without disturbing the train following them. Thus, shuttles can run safely every 90 seconds during peak hours, compared to 107 seconds previously. Once the full fleet is in service, Atlanta Airport will be able to operate up to 15 trains at a time, compared to 10 or 11 today, and transport more passengers per hour. Alstom also renovated 13 switches to increase their reliability.
An industry leader
A market-leading solution for over 50 years, the Innovia APM driverless shuttle is an efficient transportation solution, specifically designed to provide fast and convenient service to travelers between airport terminals, to and from airports, or within cities. Alstom has supplied more than 30 driverless shuttle systems around the world, 13 of which are currently in service in the world’s busiest airports.
Alstom is the leading provider of rolling stock and rail services in the United States, with more than 12,000 new or remanufactured vehicles delivered to national rail agencies and airports, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, San Francisco and New Jersey. Alstom also manufactured the first high-speed trains built in the United States and is the country’s leading private rail operator, transporting millions of passengers every day for around ten rail and airport customers.
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