AirTrain JFK Light Rail System

Brief Overview

Slattery Skanska Inc. was the lead member of the consortium that designed and constructed this $1.2 billion 8.1-mile light rail system at JFK International Airport. The system opened for revenue service on December 18, 2003.

To meet the project’s aggressive schedule, construction progressed at the Van Wyck, Central Terminal Area, Federal Circle, Howard Beach, and the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility locations concurrently. Coordination with other contractors and public agencies was critical to the success of the project.

Erection of the guideway structure was one of the major components of the light rail system construction. The guideway foundation required 80-foot-long Monotube piles and Tapertube piles. The tops of the piles were capped below ground with footings that typically measured 20 ft. x 20 ft. x 5 ft. in depth. Installation of cast-in-place concrete piers that varied in size up to 45 feet in height and 6 feet in diameter atop the footings followed, completing the guideway’s support system. The team then erected the guideway structure that supports the system’s trackway, which features running rails, safety walkways and traction power, as well as communications ductbanks. The 48,000-foot-long structure consists of over 5,000 precast, post-tensioned, segmental concrete box sections.

For the final construction phase, Slattery Skanska’s Track Division assembled and installed 1,500-foot-long continuous rail strings and placed direct fixation track, LIM (linear induction motor rail) and power rail. Additionally, our electrical division was in charge of the design and installation of all equipment for four 27 kV feeders, a main substation which distributes power to seven substations for traction power and nine substations to operate the passenger terminals.