Summary
- Most US airports lack efficient public transportation options, unlike airports in Europe.
- Newark Airport stands out as one exception, with well-connected regional rail services to various destinations.
- Newark Airport is uniquely connected to the Northeast urban corridor via frequent intercity rail service by Amtrak.
Overwhelmingly, airports in the United States are not well-connected to the communities they serve by public transportation, resulting in passengers being heavily reliant on roads to get to and from the airport. While a major airport in Europe, like London’s Heathrow International Airport (LHR), may be serviced by multiple train services, many subway lines and dozens of buses, most US airports are stuck with a handful of inconvenient buses and maybe a train line if one is lucky.
Some of the country’s biggest airports, including New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), are weakly connected to public transit, and passengers have no hope of easily traveling anywhere beyond an airport’s immediate geographic vicinity. Furthermore, the European system of traveling by intercity train to one airport before getting on an intercontinental flight is almost completely absent in the United States.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
There are unique exceptions, however, one of which is the often-overlooked Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Partially due to the long-standing efforts of New Jersey politicians and the facility’s geographic location along multiple major public transportation lines, Newark Airport rivals some airports in Europe, and might just be the best-connected airport in the United States by public transportation.
Regional rail connections
It is not uncommon for US airports to be connected to surrounding areas by regional rail, a term used to describe rail lines that connect suburban communities to urban centers. These kinds of systems are often referred to as commuter rail systems, as they are frequented by those who work in an urban area’s central business district but live outside the city.
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Across the country, one can see examples of airports being efficiently linked to communities by regional rail connections. In the California Bay Area, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system connects San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and the East Bay to airport infrastructure with stops at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK). Other similar examples can be seen across the country.
Many urban planners will argue that Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a regional rail system due to the nature of its ridership and network, even though “rapid transit” is in the name.
Newark Airport also offers efficient regional rail connections to destinations across the tristate area. While many airports are lucky to be on a single commuter rail line, EWR is fortunate enough to be positioned on two different New Jersey Transit lines.
The first of these, the Northeast Corridor Line, connects to destinations across the middle of the state and extends as far west as Princeton and the state capital, Trenton. The Jersey Coast Line, the second of those which connects to the airport, offers frequent service to destinations along the popular Jersey Shore, including multiple noteworthy vacation towns.
But the most important feature of Newark Airport’s NJ Transit system is not the suburban communities that outbound trains service, but rather the ability to get to downtown Manhattan in less than 30 minutes. Both train lines that serve Newark terminate at New York’s Penn Station, which is located in the heart of Manhattan and offers connections across the city via over half a dozen subway lines.
For those looking to get to their homes or offices in Manhattan from an airport by public transportation, Newark Airport is by far the most convenient travel option. If one is looking to travel to places beyond the city, including Long Island, efficient connections at New York Penn Station can allow one to be in many Lond Island suburbs within an hour or so of touching down.
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Intercity rail
Newark Airport is uniquely connected not just to the greater New York Metropolitan Area, but also the entire Northeast urban corridor due to frequent intercity rail services operated by Amtrak. The facility’s primary rail station is connected to two different Amtrak lines: the Northeast Regional and the Keystone Service.
The former of these lines connects Boston to multiple major cities in Virginia that are located south of Washington, D.C., and can be the most efficient mode of transportation between cities along the Northeastern seaboard. The second of these lines connects New York City to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, with stops in major cities such as Philadelphia along the way. If one is traveling to or from any of these cities, connecting via Newark can be a feasible option.
According to an analysis of Amtrak’s network from The Points Guy, Newark is just one of four US airports to have a train station with scheduled Amtrak service. This includes Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), which is also located along the Northeast Regional as well as multiple other lines, Hollywood Burbank AIrport (BUR), which is served by the Pacific Sufliner, and Milwaukee International Airport (MKE), which has regular Amtrak service to Chicago via the Hiawatha line.
More in the works
New Jersey urban planners are not done extending regional transportation networks to connect the airport even more seamlessly to the surrounding areas. The last thing which Newark Airport lacks is a true urban rapid transit connection.
Rapid transit includes services like those operated by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), which connects the city’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) to the urban core via two different lines. Another good example of a rapid transit service to an airport includes the Massachsetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)’s blue line connection to Logan Airport (BOS).
Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority
According to documents from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, planners announced in 2012 that work would commence on a study exploring the feasibility of connecting the airport to the Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) rapid transit system. The Board of Commissioners formally approved a proposal to build this line in 2014 and a 10-year $1.7 billion capital plan was secured for the project in 2017.
According to NJ Spotlight News, construction for the line extension was started in 2020, and the first services are expected to begin in 2026. In addition to all the rail transit previously discussed, Newark Airport is also served by multiple different NJ Transit bus lines, alongside dozens of services from private operators, including Trans-Bridge Lines and Olympia Trials.
Have you ever traveled to Newark Airport by public transportation? Let us know how your experience was in the comments!