OIA spent millions on trams, but break downs continue

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orlando International Airport officials said it will be a month and a half before service to one airside terminal where a tram keeps malfunctioning is back to being reliable.

With one train on the tracks, there no redundancy and no back-ups in case the train runs into problems.

There are two sets of tracks, but the other train on it is bogged down for testing.

With tourism being the lifeblood of Central Florida’s economy, OIA’s executive director knows the stakes.

“We’re the first impression and the last impression for a lot of visitors,” said Phil Brown. “This is not what we want to portray. That’s now what we’re about.”

He also knows that the newest train, which is undergoing testing, has to pass those tests before passengers can get on board.

WATCH: Executive director of OIA discusses tram issues

It’ll be mid-June before there’s redundancy to protect against a train stopped on the tracks.

The airport has spent nearly $5 million on top of the project’s original $132 million contract.

Part of the money has gone to rewriting the computer operating system that keeps the trains running.

OIA’s chief operating officer, Stan Thornton, insists that was part of the plan, and not prompted by recent passenger delays.

“Instances we’ve had, they’re pretty normal. Mitsubishi has been a little slow reacting to them, and that’s what we’re working on,” he said. Mitsubishi brought in a team of 30 workers to monitor the trains for problems.

The company beat Bombardier, OIA’s previous train maker in a competitive bid.

The airport said it does not believe awarding Bombardier the train replacement would have avoided the shut downs.

Cox Media Group