The Terminal Link, formerly known as Link Train, is an automated people mover (APM) at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The wheelchair-accessible train runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is completely free-of-charge to ride. In 2012, it transported 17,000 passengers daily, 60 to 70% of whom were airport staff.

History

The original proposal for an automated people mover system at Pearson Airport was submitted in May 2002. Six months later, on November 15, 2002, a contract was signed with DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car GmbH of Wolfurt, Austria, followed by four years of construction, and the system opened to the public on July 6, 2006. The service initially operated alongside its predecessor, the Link shuttle bus system.

The system cost $150 million.

Design and rolling stock

thumb|Terminal Link train approaching Terminal 1 station in 2012, in old livery

The Terminal Link uses a pair of Cable Liner trains,

The two trains, plus a small work car, cost a total of when delivered.

Stations and operation

The two fully elevated lines, running side-by-side, are long, and have a one-way travel time of four minutes.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Specifications

! Length

|

|-

! Configuration

|Dual track shuttle with two trains operating independently

|-

! Operating speed

|

|-

! Headway

|250 s

|-

! Dwell time

|36 s

|-

! Guideway

|Elevated steel tube truss

|-

! System capacity

|2,500 pphpd

|-

! Stations

|3

|-

! Trains

|Two 7-car trains

|-

! Train capacity

|25 passengers/vehicle, 175 passengers/train

|}

Disruptions

On March 30, 2009, the Link Train was put out of service for extensive maintenance due to engineering design flaws. During this time, service was replaced by an inter-terminal shuttle bus contracted to Penetang-Midland Coach Lines. Normal service resumed in July 2009.

Connections

The Union Pearson Express airport rail link service between Pearson Airport and Union Station in Downtown Toronto opened on June 6, 2015, in time for the 2015 Pan American Games. However, when the four Transit City lines were found to be $2.4 billion over their funding envelope in January 2010, parts of the network were deferred, including the western section of the Eglinton LRT. A future extension could eventually reach the airport, completing the line as envisioned. As of 2020 planning for the western extension is underway and Metrolinx hopes to complete the line by 2030–31.

See also

  • Union Pearson Express
  • Transportation in Mississauga

References

  • Doppelmayr Cable Car, designer's webpage
  • Airport People Mover technical data
  • Airport People Mover System
  • Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group, parent company of DCC