Alstom announced it has signed a contract with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Newark Liberty International Airport to provide operations and maintenance services for its Innovia monorail system, known as AirTrain Newark, for the next seven years, until January 2030.

The contract is valued at approximately €250 million and includes an option for one additional year, according to Alstom's news release.

Under the agreement, Alstom will be responsible for 24-hour train operations and dispatching, maintenance of the vehicle fleet, station doors, guideways, power distribution systems, car wash, signaling system, and facilities. The fleet is composed of 15 Innovia monorail trains, of six cars each, serving six stations, including the new Terminal A, along the nearly three miles of the elevated guideway.

The system not only operates between the airport’s terminals but also connects the airport with rental car facilities, hotel shuttles, and central parking lots, as well as with other transit systems and services such as New Jersey Transit and Amtrak.

Last year, nearly 10 million passengers rode the AirTrain, with an average daily ridership of around 26,000 travelers and airport employees.

Full automation of the system provides improved safety, high reliability, higher capacity with shorter headways between trains, and lower maintenance costs, according to Alstom.

“We are proud of our continued partnerships with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and with Newark Liberty International Airport,” said Michael Keroullé, president of Alstom Americas. “Our industry-leading Innovia airport system has been moving travelers and employees between terminals at Newark Airport safely and reliably since 1996. Building upon the knowledge gathered over more than 25 years and our worldwide leadership of operation and maintenance of automated transit systems, our service delivery team will continue to focus on maintaining the AirTrain Newark’s high-performance levels and supporting the best possible passenger mobility experience at the airport.”