Delhi residents and travellers are quite familiar with the gruelling transit at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Even with the top-tier facilities, world-class lounges, and massive runways, the airport has harbored a glaring bottleneck and time consuming journey between its terminals. Very soon, one of the world’s busiest airports is getting a major upgrade. Following the suit of automated hubs like Singapore, Seoul, Zurich, and Dubai, New Delhi is next in line. Indira Gandhi International Airport is set to introduce India’s first driverless air trains by 2028. A massive leap forward for Indian aviation, this is a game-changing arrival in transport convenience.
Delhi Airport To Get Driverless Air Trains
The planned launch of the highly anticipated driverless air trains promises to change how we travel fundamentally. It cuts down inter-terminal transit times to a seamless few minutes. Named among the world’s top 10 busiest airports, Indira Gandhi International Airport handles a record-breaking 73 to 79 million passengers each year. With the introduction of automated air trains, they seamlessly connect Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Aerocity, and Cargo City, making transfers easier and faster for millions of passengers.
The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) plans to invest around 4,000 Cr in the project. The proposed train will cover a distance of 7.7 kilometres in the transit corridor, with 5.7 kilometres of elevated track and 2 kilometres at ground level. Construction of the project is expected to take around 30 months, beginning operations between late 2027 and 2028. The system will also include four stations within the airport, capable of handling 40,000 to 50,000 passengers every day. The plan is to further increase the capacity to 80,000 and 90,000, depending on demand and train frequency.
The driverless air trains shall replace the existing shuttle bus system, reducing transfer times and traffic congestion within the airport premises. The service will be free for passengers making flight connections, while visitors will have to pay a nominal fee. Additionally, the plan includes the use of electric trains over diesel buses. This aims to reduce carbon emissions, in line with India’s official net-zero goal by 2070.
