Detroit People Mover closes Sept. 11 & 12 for noise reduction work

2023
  • Profiling on the guideway track before the Detroit Auto Show will reduce intense sounds
  • DPM will operate earlier on the weekends for Auto Show

                                                                                                        

The familiar whirr of Detroit People Mover (DPM) trains leaving and arriving at stations is a hallmark of downtown – a sound of the city captured in thousands of videos. Over time, the steel rail-to-steel wheel connection points have resulted in a louder-than-normal travel experience. The Detroit Transportation Corporation (DTC) is smoothing the tracks in time for the Detroit Auto Show – and beyond.

To accomplish this, DTC is shutting down the People Mover for two full days next week to make these changes we can hear and feel, a process known as rail grinding.

“The equipment is hoisted onto the guideway,” explains DTC General Manager Robert Cramer. “It will make calibrations along the track to ensure that the rail is corrected and restored. We expect passengers and pedestrians will appreciate the difference – a quieter ride that will be a noticeable change. We will continue the process at night after operating hours for a few days following on shorter stretches of the track.”

Regular service will restart on Wednesday, September 13 to welcome visitors for the Detroit Auto Show’s Media and Technology Days. The People Mover will begin service one hour earlier on the weekends and remain open one hour later on Sundays until the end of the Detroit Auto Show on September 24.