AirRail Link

The AirRail Link (formerly SkyRail) is a people mover linking Birmingham International Airport with Birmingham International railway station and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), in the United Kingdom.

The original Birmingham Maglev system installed in 1985 is notable for being the first commercial Maglev transport system in the world. The Maglev fell into disrepair and was replaced with a cable-driven system in 2003.

The elevated system is fully automated and takes passengers at regular intervals from the high-level railway station concourse, over a dual carriageway and into the terminal buildings. It has a length of 585 m and handles three million passengers per year.

Maglev

The Birmingham MAGLEV was the world's first commercial Maglev system and was known as MAGLEV during its operation. It was operating between 1984–1995, before falling into disrepair.

Initial feasibility studies for the link started in 1979 by owners of the airport, West Midlands County Council at the time. Contracts were given in 1981 to a consortium involving GEC, Balfour Beatty, Brush Electrical Machines and Metropolitan Cammell under the name "People Mover Group", along with John Laing plc. The system was opened on 16 August 1984Hansard, [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199899/cmhansrd/vo990526/text/90526w08.htm House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 26 May 1999 (pt 8): Passenger Transit System] , 1999-05-26.] .

The system was closed in July 1995 with an investigation concluding the cost of reinstating and maintaining the MAGLEV to be too high. As of 1999, the cars for the MAGLEV were stored by the airport owners, Birmingham International Airport Ltd., on the airport site. The system was removed in 2001 [Birmingham Mail, [http://www.birminghammail.net/news/solihull-news/tm_objectid=17662730&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=new-plan-aims-to-bring-the-maglev-back-name_page.html New plan aims to bring the Maglev back] , 2006-09-01.] .

After closure, a temporary shuttle bus service that was operated between 1995 and 2002 until development of a suitable replacement was foundcite web|url=http://www.arup.com/rail/project.cfm?pageid=2529|title=Birmingham International Airport People Mover|publisher=Arup|accessdate=2008-07-11] .

The second commercial Maglev system in the world was the Shanghai Maglev Train, opened in 2004.

Replacement

The current AirRail Link is a cable propelled shuttle system installed by DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car (DCC) in 2002 and built on top of the previous Maglev guideway.

The Birmingham Airport Link was DCC's first airport system and began operation in May 2002, following on from the temporary bus-service that had been operating since 1995.cite web|url=http://www.arup.com/rail/project.cfm?pageid=2529|title=Birmingham International Airport People Mover|publisher=Arup|accessdate=2008-07-11]

The system uses Cable Liner technology with two independent rope-hauled parallel tracks and a two-car passenger unit operating on each track.

The new system has motivated passengers travelling to the airport to leave their cars at home and use public transportation.cite web|url=http://www.dcc.at/doppelmayr/references/en/tmp_1_1762145202/Birmingham,_UK_detail.aspx|title=References: AirRail Shuttle Birmingham International Airport Birmingham, UK|publisher=DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car|accessdate=2008-07-16]

Trains

Both independent Cable Liner Shuttle systems consist of one train with two cars. The individual cars carry 27 passengers (0.33 m² per person), thus each vehicle has a total capacity of 54 passengers. The hourly capacity per train is 804 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd). The trains travel at 36 km/h (22.4 mph), with trip times of less than 90 seconds. cite book|first=DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car|title=References|publisher=DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car GmbH|date=2008|pages=5]

Key information

The AirRail Link Replacement Project was started on 30 March 2001 and completed on 7 March 2003 with the first day of public operation. The project contract cost US$16 million. [cite book|first=DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car|title=Automated People Mover (APM): Planner's guide|publisher=DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car GmbH|date=2008|pages=86]

Facts

The 585 m-long (1,921 ft) AirRail Link takes travellers from the public transportation interchange to the airport check-in in 90 seconds. It is a dual track shuttle with two stations, that consists of two trains operating independently at a speed of 36 km/h (22.4 mph). The headway is 120 seconds, the dwell time is 30 seconds. The system capacity is 1,608 pphpd with two 2-car trains that can carry 27 passengers/vehicle, thus 54 passengers/train.

Price

The price for the AirRail Link is free for rail passengers onlyFact|date=September 2008.

ee also

* LINK Train, a longer airport system using the same technology in Canada.
* Airport Shuttle Mexico, airport system using the same technology in Mexico

References

External links

* [http://www.bhx.co.uk/page.aspx?type=T0NaZj9WNoU=&id=5sqdhXe0N48= Air-Rail Link] , Birmingham Airport.
* [http://www.dcc.at DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car] , designer's website
* [http://www.doppelmayr.com Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group] , parent company of DCC