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The state’s top transportation officials and Gov. Phil Murphy are making the case for the $2.1 billion reconstruction of the AirTrain, a three mile monorail loop opened in 1996 that connects the three terminals of Newark Liberty International Airport.

Murphy, at the AirTrain Station in Newark Tuesday afternoon, against the backdrop of Newark Airport and the new $2.7 billion Terminal One, said the current rail line is “on life support” and needs to be put into retirement soon.

“The system simply cannot function as it should, all-too-often leaving passengers delayed and airport personnel unable to get to work on time,” Murphy said.

The bi-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey manages the airport and holds the purse strings for these kinds of potentially pricey endeavors.

Murphy was flanked by Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton and Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole, both of whom have been amenable to putting money behind rebuilding the AirTrain.

The Port Authority would first set aside the money into its 10-year capital plan, spanning from 2016 to 2027, for the AirTrain.

The plan calls for $300 million over the next decade slated towards maintenance and upgrades to keep the line running, but Murphy bumped that figure up to $400 million in the Tuesday press conference.

“We have to rebuild our legacy in infrastructure, we need new facilities, new terminals, new everything,” Cotton said.

Murphy was also joined by Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti.