Long Term Parking
West Field Road
The Rental Car Center was the terminus of the SFO AirTrain for the first 18 years of the system’s existence from its opening on February 24, 2003 until the line was extended to the long-term parking garages. The station consists of two tracks with two platforms and has had this design since it opened. One platform is a normal AirTrain island platform with the usual slightly open-air design with platform screen door. There is a second side platform that services Long Term Parking-bound trains directly on level 4 of the consolidated rental car facility. This platform consists of platform screen doors that lead directly out to the main area where many of the Rental Car Counters are for passengers getting rentals. It barely feels like a platform.
This super-convenient East Platform was used by all Blue Line trains, which used a single direction crossover (only connects the west track to the east track) to change direction after leaving the station before the one-stop extension to Long Term Parking opened in 2021. The information LED signs said Position Closed for the West Platform when I visited in 2013. Trains still opened their doors on both sides to allow for any passengers with Rental Cars on Level 1 (or getting dropped-off or picked-up from off airport rental cars) to access the station.
The island platform contains an elevator, a combined escalator/staircase, a single staircase, and two escalators down to a plaza just off of McDonnell Road, with a small bus loop (and Kiss & Fly Drop-Off) located just south of the station just north of Area Drive.
The side platform is on level 4 of the rental car center (basically a parking garage). To connect to the island platform for trains to the airport terminals requires taking a series of very short escalators (or elevators) down to Level 1 of the Rental Car Center before heading outside to the plaza under the platform before being able to head up the stairs/elevator/or escalator up to the island platform, it feels like there could be slightly better connections to additional floors.
Photos 1-8: June 11, 2013; 9-31: January 13, 2024
Stepping off a train To Terminals and Bart on the 'platform' directly at a bunch of the rental car counters
Looking through a terminating train, changing direction, on the East Platform, the doors open on both sides
Stairs (one closed and escalators from ground level up to the platform
Sign above the escalator for AirTrain to all terminals
Looking out from under the gideway's complex switch at a canopied area that leads out to the Kiss'n'Ride and Shuttles to off airport car rentals
Waiting for the next train to arrive to the airport that will terminate on the East Platform
The up escalator/staircase to leave the platform
View after departing the rental car center with the AirTrain maintenance facility in the distance
Approaching the large parking garage that is the Rental Car Center
Big signs on the doors on the side platform that the train is going to long term parking and to use the elevators or escalators and follow the signs to The doors open to the island platform on a Long Term Park-bound train at the Rental Car Center)
Stepping off a trian towards the rental car desksThe entrance to station at the edge of the parking garage
Looking through the doors opening on both sides of a Stopped car #21 and a sign to use elevators and escalators and follow the signs for the AirTrain to All Terminals platform
The tiny AirTrain platform basically in the rental car lobby
Looking past a set of escalators down to street level with a train blurring by from the rental car lobby
Looking across to one end of the AirTrain platform and the silver wrapped top of the elevator shaft
The Rental Car company directory and sign that you are only on Level 3 and AirTrain to Terminals is via Level 1
Sign on Level 2 that the AirTrain to Terminals via Level 1
View down the final short esclator to Level 1 and the plaza under the station
A bank of escalators and a stairacse up to the AirTrain
Luggage carts and sign To All Terminals AirTrain or via Elevator
Last Updated: January 21, 2022
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