German airport operator Fraport has selected a consortium made up of Siemens, Max Bögl Group and Keolis to construct the new people-mover system at Frankfurt Airport.
Along with the actual people-mover system (consisting of vehicles, control systems, and energy supply), the contract also includes laying part of the track and its accompanying equipment. The order is valued at €300m (US$368m), which comprises delivery of the system and its operational management for up to 10 years. Selection of the provider is a milestone for the entire project, since subsequent planning and implementation steps depend on the system to be deployed.
Dr Stefan Schulte, executive board chairman, Fraport, said, “The contract is a key strategic milestone in efficiently linking our future Terminal 3 (T3) with the existing Terminals 1 (T1) and 2 (T2) and the airport’s public transportation network, including the long-distance and regional train stations. The new people-mover system will enhance the airport experience for our customers and thus strengthen Frankfurt Airport’s role as a transportation hub over the long run.”
Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens’ Mobility Division, said, “Over 30 years of experience have gone into our Val systems – along with a steady stream of improvements. With its high availability level, we deliver an especially reliable product to our customers.”
The new system will initially consist of 12 self-driven electric trains, each with two coupled coaches. As with the existing Sky Line people mover, two different passenger groups will be transported separately. The new shuttles will cover nearly 200,000km (124,000 miles) per month and can transport up to 4,000 passengers per hour in each direction. The maximum speed on the line is around 80kph (50mph). At peak times, the system will run between the stations every 120 seconds.
Construction work on the new track between T1 and T2 is scheduled to start in mid-2018. Opening of the complete system including the stations and a repair shop building is slated for 2023.