The UK’s High Speed Two (HS2) has unveiled the visuals for a new automated people mover that will take passengers from the new Interchange Station in Solihull to Birmingham Airport in just six minutes.
When fully operational, the people mover will carry up to 2,100 passengers per hour in each direction. The approximately 20m-long (65ft) people mover vehicles will depart from each stop approximately every three minutes. They will pick up passengers from Interchange Station, and then travel 2.3km (1.4 miles) across an elevated viaduct stopping at Birmingham International Railway Station and the National Exhibition Centre, before reaching Birmingham Airport.
The viaduct will be 12m (40ft) off the ground at its highest point, and the three stops will be fully accessible, designed using color to provide clear wayfinding for passengers, while information screens and audio announcements will provide live journey updates to communicate both HS2 and People Mover services.
Mark Thurston, CEO of HS2, said, “The high-speed connection into Interchange Station opens up the UK Central Hub, the NEC, Birmingham International station and Birmingham Airport to new business and leisure customers who might not have chosen this area previously. With the airport being only six minutes from the station, it means better options for air travelers, and makes it more accessible to even more of the UK.”
HS2 will hold a further series of events in autumn 2019, showing the designs, before submitting an application to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.