Denver airport’s trains have broken down 131 times in the last year so they’re going to finally build walkways so that passengers can make their way between tunnels on foot. Construction is expected to start next year. I credit JonNYC for consistently raising broad awareness of the problem.
There are many things that are great about Denver’s airport. It has strong connectivity, with tons of gates and big terminals. There’s a lot of competition, though United is increasingly vanquishing Southwest there. Frontier helps keep fares down to some destinations at certain times of day.
Because the airport’s footprint is so large, it can expand runways, ramps, and terminal space. And there’s plenty of clubs! They have American and Delta clubs, 3 large United Clubs plus the Club Fly minimart concept. And there’s both an American Express and Capital One lounge. (They lack for Chase and Priority Pass lounges, however.)
I like connecting in Denver. I hate flying in and out of Denver. The airport is nowhere near the city. Even with recent changes, TSA can be a terrible mess – one of the worst in the country. And passengers get stuck since gates aren’t currently walkable from the central terminal, and the train you’re forced to take breaks down regularly.
DEN trains down again. TSA not sending any more passengers down to the platform, due to crowding. pic.twitter.com/s6tM9XU21y
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) October 16, 2025
Here’s a train car carrying passengers with its doors open and passengers inches from the edge, heading from the main terminal to the A concourse. The airport blamed a passenger for this, though the train is built so that it shouldn’t be possible and the fail safes… failed.
@keelyhanson306 For licensing or usage, contact licensing at viralhog.com. Just cruising on the train with the doors open#denverinternationalairport #osha ♬ original sound
Train malfunctions date back to the opening of the airport 29 years ago, with multiple interruptions over the early weeks of the airport. In 1998 a loose train wheel damaged a routing cable in the tunnel, cutting power and causing a 7-hour outage with 30% of United’s flights affected.
More recently, a deflated tire and failed wheel hub caused the car to drop and drag on the track, damaging the power rail with passengers off-loaded into the tunnels and a damaged switch plate on the running surface between B and C forced one-track operations and alternating directions, causing delays.
But it’s not just the train. This was a badly designed airport that was a white elephant from the start, and it’s poorly run. The airport’s opening was delayed 16 months and an extra $1.3 billion in costs incurred because the automated baggage system suffered mechanical and software failures and was largely abandoned in favor of manual systems.
The current Great Hall terminal renovation project has been in turmoil since 2017. The contract for it was terminated in 2019. Audits showed mismanagement and poor project management exploding the scope. Poor management is a frequent theme at the airport, not to mention ethics challenges.
The head of Denver International Airport is Phillip A. Washington. He’s been in place since July 2021, long enough that the airport’s current problems – and failure to fix known issues – lie at his feet. He was nominated in July, 2022 by President Biden to serve as FAA Administrator. Given the important safety role that agency plays he was, thankfully, not confirmed.
@Denver Refugee — Rejoice! DEN is becoming ATL… bah!
Are there any other domestic airports where you can’t reach your plane except by one mode of transportation like this?
DFW terminal E is cut off from the other terminals airside but you can easily access it outside security.
The old PIT airport (aka a year ago)– I think it required you to take the train to the gates, right? I don’t recall if there was a walkway from checkin to gates.
can you walk to the BA gates in the Terminal E satellite at MIA? I think it requires the train.
SEA Satellite terminals?
TPA/MCO checkin to terminals — sorry, Lucky, I don’t share your love of TPA but can you walk to the gates from checkin at either airport?
The most similar/large single point of failure terminal internationally would seem to be MAD 4S
@ Gary — Yet another example of why ATL is such a great design. What were they thinking at DEN to not have walking as an option? The walk at ATL is actually a great way to get in some steps, and NO SHOPS to walk past underground! The walk is far better for you than visiting a club lounge buffet.
While I do hate the Denver Airport, you can walk to the A gates. Since I fly Delta I never have to step foot on the train there. Luckily I rarely have to go to that airport.
@Maxpower TPA is my home airport and it is by far my favorite mid/large airport. While the normal operation is a train to the gates, they do have walkways that I have used when there is a problem with the train. But, in my 14 years flying from there I probably don’t need both hands to count how many times there was a problem with the trains. They have been doing updates so the trains have been shut down for that but there are two tracks to each terminal so it just affects capacity at peak times.
You can easily walk well over a mile in FRA or CDG. I haven’t checked CLT but I’d bet that going from the end of A to the end of E is a mile for sure.