Pittsburgh airport trains running after breakdown

The trains that ferry passengers between the landside and airside terminals at Pittsburgh International Airport are functioning normally Friday morning following a breakdown overnight, an airport spokesman said.

Airport spokesman Bob Kerlik said there was a “brief period” earlier Friday when both trains were down.

The south train was out of service for regularly scheduled maintenance overnight, he said.

The north train “unexpectedly went down” for about an hour, between 11:30 p.m. Thursday and 12:30 a.m. Friday.

Kerlik said the airport bused passengers between the terminals for that hour. Passengers were also able to talk between terminals through a pedestrian tunnel. Airport staff were on hand to direct passengers, Kerlik said.

Passengers took to social media to document walking through the tunnel to airside terminal.

Train broke down at @pitairport. First time I’ve ever walked to landslide terminal. https://t.co/EX1g08RqyG

— John B Hammer (@jbhammer) July 26, 2019

That user later tweeted “I need the exercise. And it wasn’t bad.”

Others took the airport to task for the breakdown.

Airport of the year ?‍♂️ @PITairport pic.twitter.com/6i8FQJhCwo

— Robby (@Rbell412) July 26, 2019

Pittsburgh International Airport in 2017 became the first U.S. airport to be named Airport of the Year by Air Transport World magazine.

Update: After an hour wait, for some, we all got to walk the tunnel between the trams. Many young children and elderly had a hard time in the heat of that tunnel. pic.twitter.com/bk3QeOSfzu

— Eric Hecker (@eshecker) July 26, 2019

A $1.1 billion overhaul of the airport will see a new landside terminal built that is connected to the airside terminal, eliminating the need for the trains.