Hong Kong International Airport Automated People Mover is a driverless people mover

People mover

A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...

 located within Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...

. It operates in two "segments" and depends on the direction of travel.

First segment runs between the East Hall and the West Hall in Terminal 1. The segment aims to provide a faster and easier way for passengers travelling between immigration and boarding gates at the far end of the Terminal. Westbound service is only for departure passengers only. While eastbound service is only for arrival passengers. After arriving the West Hall, departure passengers should approach the boarding gates nearby and board their plane. It is not allowed to take the APM back to the East Hall, where most shops located. For eastbound service, after reaching the East Hall, all arrival passengers must disembark for immigration, customs, and baggage claim. Also, it is not allowed for arrival passengers to take the APM back to the West Hall. Since both the East Hall and the West Hall are located within Terminal 1, passengers can choose not to use this system but use travellators or walk instead, though this will be more time-consuming.

Second segment of the system runs from SkyPier to Terminal 2 and then continue to the East Hall of Terminal 1. Different from the first segment, the second segment is the only way connecting these three places. SkyPier passengers heading for departing flights must take the westbound service of this segment to the East Hall of Terminal 1. SkyPier passengers are not allowed to alight at Terminal 2. Departure passengers from Terminal 2 can join the westbound service of the second segment from Terminal 2. All passengers must leave the train when it arrived the East Hall of Terminal 1. Then depends on the boarding gate location of their onward flight, passengers can choose to change to the first segment of APM system at the opposite platform of the East Hall to continue their way to the West Hall, or simply approach the boarding gate from the East Hall directly. The westbound service is only for arrival passengers heading to SkyPier for ferry service to PRD ports. Ferry ticket will be checked before boarding the APM. Once arrived SkyPier, passengers are not allowed to travel back to the Terminal 1. Since there is no eastbound platform in Terminal 2, there will be no intermediate station for the eastbound service.

The section from the East Hall to SkyPier is for SkyPier passengers and staffs only. The first segment began operations in 1998 while the second one began operations in early 2007. SkyPier extension was opened to public in late 2009.

Facts

• Section Length:
  • From the East Hall to the West Hall: 750m
  • From the Terminal 2 to the East Hall: 430m (Only one-way journey is offered from T2 to the East Hall)
  • From Skypier to Terminal 2: 600m (Estimated figures only)
• Stations: 4 (Gates 33-80, Gates 1-32 of Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and SkyPier)
• Rolling Stock:
  • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Mover, 4 cars (phase 1 stock)
  • vehicle by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, 4 cars (phase 2 stock)
• Manufacturer:
  • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
    Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
    , or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
    
     of Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
    
     (phase 1 stock)
  • Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries of Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
    
    (phase 2 stock)
• Speed: 62 km/h
• Capacity: 304 passengers

SkyPier

Extension of the APM system from Terminal 2 to SkyPier was originally scheduled to open in 2008. After a year of delay, this extension was finally opened to public in late 2009.

External links

• Airport Authority SkyCity Brochure