Following a tender process, Fraport AG has awarded the contract for the construction of the new people-mover system at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to a bidding consortium made up of Siemens, Max Bögl Group and Keolis. Along with the actual people-mover system (consisting of vehicles, control systems, and energy supply), the contract signed today also covers construction of part of the track system and the full track equipment. The order volume totals around €300 million comprising delivery of the system and its operational management for up to ten 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.
“With the consortium consisting of Siemens, Max Bögl, and Keolis, we have found a reliable provider for our new people-mover system at Frankfurt Airport,” said Dr. Stefan Schulte, Fraport AG’s executive board chairman. “The contract is a key strategic milestone in efficiently linking our future Terminal 3 with the existing Terminals 1 and 2 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,” added Dr. Schulte, who is also chairman of the supervisory board of Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH, the wholly-owned Fraport subsidiary responsible for the airport’s south expansion, including Terminal 3.
Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens AG’s 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: originating and Schengen transfer passengers will be able to use the publicly accessible section, while non-Schengen transfer passengers ride separately in the second coach. The new shuttles will cover nearly 200,000 kilometers per month and can transport up to 4,000 passengers per hour in each direction. This includes airline passengers, meeters and greeters, airport staff, as well as airport visitors and shoppers. The maximum speed on the line is around 80 kilometers per hour. At peak times, the system will run between the stations every 120 seconds.
Construction work on the new track between Terminals 1 and 2 is scheduled to start in mid-2018. Opening of the complete system including the stations and a repair shop building is slated for 2023.
The 5,600-meter long line is being built as a double-track system. Trains will run on elevated tracks in the terminal areas and at ground level in the aircraft approach area for the Center and South Runways, parallel to the A5 motorway. When the system goes into operation, three stations will be served. The station at Terminal 1 will be a new building located between the terminal and the Sheraton Hotel. The station at Terminal 3 will also be newly built between the future terminal and its planned parking structure. For Terminal 2, the existing Sky Line station can be used and will merely require some extension, as it was prepared to accommodate two further tracks when the Sky Line was built back in 1994.
Frankfurt Airport’s existing Sky Line people mover is a completely driverless, autonomous transportation system developed by Bombardier. The reliable system has been in operation since 1994, providing fast and convenient connection between Frankfurt Airport’s two passenger terminals, 365 days a year. A new Station C was opened in mid-2017 to provide additional comfort for transit passengers changing between Terminals 1 and 2. Initially, the possibility of extending the Sky Line route all the way to the new Terminal 3 was considered. However, the current system is designed primarily for transit passengers. A comprehensive study resulted in the decision to build a parallel transportation system with an entirely new route. This new system will also allow passengers arriving by rail to use the new people mover to Terminal 3. In addition, a second route helps to avoid capacity problems that might arise when operating only one route. Once the new system is up and running, travelers from the long-distance and regional train stations will be able to board the shuttle at the new station at Terminal 1 and travel conveniently towards Terminal 3.
