Air tram station

An air tram station is a terminal for boarding passengers who wish to travel via air tram. One such station is located in San Francisco.

Admiral James T. Kirk used San Francisco's air tram station to travel to Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco in 2273, on the way to the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) to handle the V'Ger crisis. While at the air tram station, he met Commander Sonak, who was intended to serve as science officer on the forthcoming mission. Meanwhile, a Class F shuttlecraft was also at the station, preparing for departure. There were also several Federation ambassadors at the station. 

Background information
Before the design of the air tram station was finalized, an alternative idea for the facility's appearance was illustrated in a conceptual sketch. This concept artwork showed a station that looked similar to a subway station and was less dramatic than the enormous plaza that was constructed for. (, p. 99)

The set for the air tram station was built on Paramount Stages 12 and 14. Together with the air tram's interior, the set for the air tram station cost US$240,000. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 95) The footage of the air tram station was filmed in post-production, a month after principal photography on The Motion Picture had wrapped. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 193) There were no stairs included in the set. Although the station featured an escalator, performers depicted using this were actually lifted by a forklift. (, p. 98)

The on-screen depiction of the air tram station additionally involved a matte painting, as background enhancement for the live action sets, created by Matthew Yuricich. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, interior color photographs)

Views of the air tram station were digitally altered by Foundation Imaging in, for the Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition) DVD release. Prior to the release of that production, an unused version of the facility's exterior was portrayed in test footage for the project, which Daren Dochterman created to exhibit the ways new footage could be added to the film. In the ultimately revised version of the station's interior, Dochterman altered a large wall on the facility's right-hand side; he specifically replaced the wall's upper half with an additional platform, from which a Class F shuttlecraft could be seen taking off. (, p. 53)

Air-Tram-Bahnhof エア・トラム・ステーション