The Air-Rail is the Birmingham Airports most recent development. The service provides passengers with a fast connection from Birmingham International Railway Station to Birmingham International Airport. The service was completed in March 2003.
The service is now fully operational, and provides connecting passengers access to the Airport from the railway station, in less than 2 minutes. The Air-Rail is approximately 600 metres in length and reaches speeds of 36 kilometres per hour. The service has cost nearly £11 million, and it can carry up to 1600 passengers an hour.
The Air-Rail is comprised of 2 trains, with 2 vehicles per train, and is operated automatically, making each train un-manned. The trains are pulled along a metal track by a cable, similar to the cable car system used in popular ski resorts. The system in place at the Birmingham Air-Rail is referred to as a Cable Liner System.
For more information about the Air-Rail at Birmingham Airport please visit the following websites:
Official page about the Birmingham Airport Air-Rail
Un-official web page about the Air-Rail at Birmingham