Hamad International to start dual train service on 1 November

Hamad International Airport (HIA) will start operating its dual Passenger Trains inside the airport terminal from 1 November 2016.

The Passenger Trains were officially inaugurated by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker and Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport in the presence of dignitaries from the Ministry of Transport and Communications and members of the press.

The operational commencement was made possible after the Ministry of Transport and Communications provided HIA with an Operational Safety Certificate.

The Operational Safety Certificate establishes that HIA has met the railway safety regulation requirements, to the satisfaction of the Ministry, for commencement of passenger service.

The two Passenger Trains are designed to shuttle between the South and North nodes of the terminal, significantly reducing travel time through the airport for both arriving and departing passengers, which includes transferring passengers.

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.

“With the opening of the new Passenger Trains Hamad International Airport passengers will now benefit from an even better experience when travelling through the award-winning HIA,” said Al Baker. “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 30 million travellers who choose to fly across HIA.”

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 5 carriages, with the design capacity of 38 persons per carriage which 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 9 minutes.

HIA is one of the most efficient airport hub operations in the world, with a 90.5% on-time departure performance for the fiscal year 2016 (April 2015 – March 2016), and handling nearly 20 million bags over the same period with a handling rate of 99%.