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New Airport Terminal Designed To 'Move People'

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Sacramento International Airports new Terminal B is much bigger than the old terminal. So big in fact, the designers built in an Automated People Mover to help get passengers from point A to point B.

Seating is sparse on the Automated People Mover or APM for short which takes people between the landside to airside concourse on Terminal B.

"Please hold on, train is departing for airside B," a recorded voice tells passengers inside the car that hold 64 people.

It's a smooth, air-condition ride at 20 miles an hour with a few curves. A one-way trip takes less than a minute.

There are two open-air tracks with an APM for each direction.

Though the county's airports director says travelers won't have to wait even during the busiest times.

"Every 45 seconds there'll be a train leaving the station. Every minute and a half you'll make a roundtrip," explained Sacramento County Airport System Director Hardy Acree.

The all-electric system designed by Bombardier Transportation is new to Sacramento international but it's their 24th installation worldwide.

They've done work in China, Singapore and South Africa to name a few countries.

The APM passed rigorous testing from the California Public Utilities Commission requiring 99.5% reliability -- for a month running 20 hours a day.

Still, airport officials say they're prepared if the people mover malfunctions, saying an emergency walkway was built just in case. They just hope travelers won't have to use it.

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