Hamad International Airport (HIA) today starts operating its dual trains to reduce travel time through the terminal for both arriving, departing as well as transferring passengers.
“We are making HIA a destination by innovating new ways to move people around and this will also facilitate passengers to go to the final expansion, which should be starting in the beginning of next year to increase passenger numbers from 30mn to over 70mn passengers a year,” Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar al-Baker told the media after inaugurating the facility yesterday.
“This is the first time that a people mover is operating inside the terminal building because at most of the airports such facilities are always located externally from the building,” he explained while stressing that the rail system was designed to be “maintenance-free or low maintenance”.
Also present during the inauguration of the passenger trains were HIA chief operating officer Badr Mohamed al-Meer and dignitaries from the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC).
In a statement, the HIA said: “The ministry has worked with HIA over the last few months through the safety certification process to ensure that HIA, the operator of the passenger train, achieves compliance with regulations in the state of Qatar, has an effective safety management system and the appropriate competency and capacity to implement safety systems to ensure safe railway operations.”
After the inauguration ceremony, al-Baker received an Operational Safety Certificate,  which states that HIA has met the railway safety regulation requirements. The certificate was handed over by Kristine Fernandez, director, Technical Affairs at the MoTC.
“We are going to be certifying all the different metros, people movers, and trams in the country so, this is part of our safety certification process, Fernandez told Gulf Times.
“This is the first certificate that we have given to the HIA certifying that the rail system is safe to operate for public use,” Fernandez said.
The two passengers trains are designed to shuttle between the south and north nodes of the terminal and reduces travel time through the airport for those arriving, departing and transferring.
Passengers departing from HIA can board from the South Station, located behind the iconic “Lamp Bear”, which will take them towards the North Station located near concourses D and E.
Passengers arriving at HIA can board the North Station, which will take them towards the transfers hall and arrivals immigration located near the South Station.
“The continued investment in HIA, our home and hub, will ensure that it remains one of the world’s most advanced airports, a destination on its own, and meeting the growing needs of more than 30mn travellers who choose to fly across HIA,” al-Baker said.
HIA opened the North Node to operations earlier this year, meeting increasing passenger demand for more flights, making HIA one of the fastest growing international hub airports in the world.
Each passenger train has five carriages with a design capacity of 38 persons per carriage. This allows each train to transport up to 190 passengers at a time.
The two passenger trains will be operated simultaneously in a synchronised manner with the train system remaining operational 24 hours a day.
Each trip between the two stations takes 90 seconds, with a 44 second waiting time at each station. Approximate walking time for the same distance is nine minutes.
“We are proud to introduce this latest service at our airport with the help and support of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the New Doha International Airport Steering Committee,” al-Meer said.
“This is another step towards our commitment of offering our passengers a seamless and effortless journey through our airport. This new service will also facilitate the smooth handling of the ever increasing passenger numbers at our terminal,” he added