The AeroTrain at IAD Washington Dulles International Airport

The full ride of the Dulles AeroTrain.

Southern Airways Express:    • Southern Airways Express Cessna 208B ...  
Dulles Mobile Lounge:    • [Full Ride] Mobile Lounge at IAD Wash...  
Plane Spotting at IAD:    • Plane Spotting at IAD Dulles Internat...  

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024
Equipment: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Mover
Car: 22 (cab and tunnel view)

Distance: 4 miles / 6 kilometers
Top Speed: 42 mph / 68 km/h
Total Ride Time: 5 minutes, 52 seconds

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The Travel Series came full circle, as I rode the AeroTrain for the first time after a roundtrip flight on Southern Airways Express (shoutout to Captain Felipe Liberatore).

Opened in 2010, the AeroTrain is a 4-mile / 6 kilometer people mover running beneath the tarmac at IAD, Washington Dulles International Airport. Fully automated, the trains essentially begin service under the B gates on the western side of the airfield, connecting to the main terminal and the A gates before turning back at the C gates. Though more than 40 years old, Concourses C and D are a temporary building. So the station for the C gates is at the site of an eventual permanent building; passengers currently use a walkway and escalators to the existing concourse.

The AeroTrain system hosts 29 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Movers, with a route built in anticipation for future expansion of the airport that would ultimately lead to a full loop. Most international passengers have to use the mobile lounges instead of the AeroTrain, due to customs. Doors open on both sides of the rail cars, starting with the outermost, exiting side. These 24/7 trains run no more than two minutes apart in each direction—about two minutes between stops—with onboard maps showing the full route.

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0:00 – Boarding
0:30 – B Gates to the Main Terminal, Baggage Claim, H & Z Gates
2:36 – Main Terminal to the A Gates
4:40 – A Gates to the C Gates
5:39 – Arrival at the C Gates
6:22 – Disembarking

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The Travel Series™ is a collection of ambient videos focusing on commercial aviation and passenger rail. “Birdwatching” explores aircraft types, similarly with “Trainspotting.” Footage may be extracted into hours-long ambiences called “Vibes."

Website • https://javanhamilton.tv/travel/
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2024 by Javan Hamilton

#airport #train #railway #transport