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AirTrain closures in works for system update

AirTrain closures in works for system update
By Rich Bockmann

The Port Authority plans to shut down the AirTrain beginning Saturday for an update to the transit link between downtown Jamaica and JFK Airport.

“The need to replace track switches, the system’s operational software and train control equipment, will require lengthy shutdowns of AirTrain JFK,” the agency said, adding that both between Sept. 7 and mid-October the system will experience both partial and complete track outages.

“The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will deploy dozens of shuttle buses over the next six weeks to help minimize inconvenience for travelers who normally use AirTrain JFK,” the agency said.

Over the course of the next several weeks, the Port Authority plans to intermittently shut down different parts of the system, including full closure on some nights.

The agency said it will deploy buses from Jamaica and Howard Beach to the Federal Circle station at the airport, where passengers can transfer to shuttles that will carry them to individual terminals when the entire system is closed. There will be no charges for the either the buses or the AirTrain when the partial track closures are in effect, the agency said.

Reach reporter Rich Bockmann by e-mail at rbockmann@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4574.