Delhi airport plans 7.3-km driverless train to connect T1, T2, T3 and Aerocity

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is set to get a driverless Automated People Mover (APM) by 2030 as part of a major expansion plan aimed at improving connectivity between terminals and supporting rising passenger traffic.

The APM is expected to involve an investment of around Rs 3,500 crore. It will cover 7.3 km and have six stations, connecting Terminals 1, 2 and 3 with the cargo terminal, Aerocity and a Delhi Metro station.

The system is expected to reduce travel time between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 to around 13 minutes. Currently, passengers travelling between the two terminals have to use road transport, as Terminal 1 is located several kilometres away from Terminals 2 and 3, reported The Times of India.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) chief executive officer Pradeep Panicker said the proposed inter-terminal connectivity through the APM is expected to be ready by 2030.

The project is part of the airport’s 10-year master plan up to 2036. Construction is expected to begin next year, while officials are working to finalise the design and other elements.

The APM is projected to have ridership of around 55,000 passengers a day in its opening year. A decision on whether non-flying passengers will have to pay to use the system has not yet been taken.

The airport’s annual passenger-handling capacity is currently 106 million across its three terminals. Under the master plan, DIAL expects this to increase to 125 million.

Of the planned 125 million annual capacity, 86 million will be for domestic passengers and 39 million for international passengers.

The airport currently has four runways and an elevated cross taxiway. At Terminal 3, Pier C has been converted for international operations, while a new Pier E is scheduled to be constructed by April 2030.

The APM is being planned as part of the wider effort to improve internal airport mobility as Delhi prepares for sustained growth in passenger traffic.