DENVER — Damage to a switch plate on the Denver International Airport (DIA) train tracks caused delays for passengers on Tuesday.
That damage meant fewer passengers could board the trains that run between the terminal and the concourses. And without an alternative to get to Concourses B and C, DIA had to run buses to get passengers to their gates. Passengers can choose to use the A Bridge security and walk to Concourse A, but if they had used the main security areas, they were stuck waiting for a train to the closest concourse.
DIA CEO Phil Washington wants an alternative. He asked the public for suggestions in 2022, but so far, the options are expensive and unrealized.
Washington talked about alternatives, the airport’s reputation and construction in an interview with reporter Marshall Zelinger.
9NEWS: What's your preferred alternative?
Washington: I want redundancy for the train. You know, I don't enjoy having the train go out. And so, we are looking for ways that we can create some redundancy from the train and whether that is a walkway or whether that is tunnels, we're looking at all options right now.
You're the boss. If you could snap your fingers, what would the redundancy need to be?
Washington: “If I could snap my fingers and money was not an option, I would have a walkway of some type where if the trains went down, we could have people walk to terminals. I know that is a long way. But that would be my option, a walkway with moving sidewalks, and that sort of thing.”
Other proposals pitched to the airport include boring tunnels underground and building a gondola. Whatever the redundancy ends up being will cost money. DIA spends money it generates at DIA. And the airport’s biggest revenue generator is from the airlines.
What are the airlines telling you about this problem when it happens?
Washington: This latest incident, we did not impact any airline schedules. So, there were no scheduled impacts to this malfunction of the train. And that's a good thing. We work with them from the start of this incident, which happened, I think at 4:30 a.m. in the morning is when I got the first word. We were talking to the airlines, probably, 30 minutes later, all of the airlines. So, they knew about this, and they were happy that their schedules were not impacted.
When you say no schedules were impacted, that means that there were no delays, or no passengers missed their flight because they were waiting?
Washington: I don't think any passengers missed their flights. And there might have been some delays that were unrelated to the train incident. I can't say that, and don't have that right in front of me, but I'm happy to say that we worked with the airlines like we always do.
Missing a flight because of TSA security lines may be addressed early next month.
At the start of February, 17 new security lanes will open. Perhaps, that means an end to some of the TSA lines that wrap around the airport. It definitely means an end to some of DIA's construction.
(Editor’s Note: Since this story aired on Next with Kyle Clark on Friday evening, two emails were received from travelers who say their flight was delayed because flight attendants were delayed from the train issues.)
At what point are you worried that DIA has a reputation for long security lines, sometimes trains that don't work and construction that's always ongoing?
Washington: Well, I'm always concerned about our reputation. Every day, I'm concerned about our reputation. What I've said to passengers is, bear with us as we retrofit this airport.
I would hope passengers and fliers understand what's happening here and understand that we are a construction site right now. We can't close the airport. But at the same time, we have to work to accommodate the growth that we see.”
There is an end to the construction. And we will continue to accelerate where we can, but I will tell passengers. it's not perpetual. There is an end date, and we are expecting an enhanced customer experience as we go.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Full Episodes of Next with Kyle Clark