Denver Airport Adds Underground Passenger Walkways

Denver International Airport (DEN) is planning to convert some of its underground tunnels into pedestrian walkways. These new walkways will serve as an alternative and backup to the airport's existing train system, which connects the Jeppesen Terminal to concourses A, B, and C. Passengers will be able to walk or use moving walkways from the main terminal to Concourse A.

The airport's train system, known as the Automated Guideway Transit System, is currently undergoing a $75 million upgrade as part of the "Vision 100" strategic plan. This initiative aims to accommodate 100 million annual passengers in the coming years and includes the addition of 16 new train cars and the replacement of aging infrastructure prone to malfunctions. Despite the upgrades, the train system has experienced occasional disruptions. For example, in May 2026, mechanical issues forced the airport to use shuttle buses to transport passengers between concourses.

While DEN's records indicate that the trains operate without glitches over 99% of the time, even brief outages can cause significant passenger delays, platform congestion, and missed flights due to the high volume of travelers. The new underground walkways are intended to mitigate these issues by providing a reliable alternative for passenger movement, particularly during periods when the train system may be temporarily unavailable or experiencing reduced capacity. The airport has not yet provided a timeline for the completion of the walkway construction.