With an airport that serves as a gateway to Florida and Walt Disney World, the Orlando Airport Authority was particularly conscious of providing an entry experience that lived up to the expectations of arriving passengers. The manufacturer wanted a “people mover” that was easy to fabricate and maintain in order to produce operating reliability levels exceeding 99 percent availability.
We designed the vehicle's large windows to provide an expansive view of the airport's surrounding lakes, trees, and lush landscaping. The rounded, glazed front ends are formed from large sheets of glass in compound curves. The interior of the car is designed for passenger comfort and easy maintenance. Floors are level throughout with no wheel well protrusions and stanchions and handholds provide support for standing passengers. Seats are wall-mounted with unobstructed space underneath for feet and luggage. Backlit overhead graphic panels direct passengers to the proper exit door when the train arrives in the terminal satellite. A combination of direct and indirect lighting built into the car's overhead air-conditioning duct provides consistent lighting throughout the vehicle. All interior panels are quickly removable by technicians for access to lighting, door operators, and train control equipment. Each rubber-tired electric-powered vehicle accommodates about 100 passengers and is locked by four pairs of guide wheels to a steel guide beam anchored to a dedicated concrete guideway. A steel frame supports an aluminum extrusion superstructure. The exterior envelope is made of aluminum panels with molded fiberglass ends. The interior is a combination of fiberglass and thermoformed panels.