Alstom to upgrade driverless transit system at Jeddah airport

Alstom

French train maker Alstom will upgrade the automated and driverless passenger transit system at King Abdulaziz International Airport, as the Jeddah airport aims to receive 114 million passengers by 2030.

As part of the contract, Alstom will design, engineer, supply, integrate, test and commission a complete system upgrade of its Innovia automated people mover (APM) at the airport’s terminal 1, including adding four new trains into the current fleet of 10.

The APM system is a fully automated and driverless operation. In the last year, the Jeddah airport system transported over 13 million passengers.

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The French company will also upgrade the signalling and communication systems, platform screen doors, cybersecurity and set up a new operation control room. 

The expansion aligns with Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, which focuses on sustainable and efficient transportation.

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The upgraded system will reduce transport emissions, enhancing the airport’s capacity as an international hub, Alstom said.

The improvements and additional cars will lead to a 90 percent increase in system capacity.

In 2022, Alstom and Jeddah Airports Company, the operator of the Jeddah airport, entered into a new five-year contract to operate and maintain the APM system.