Air train to IGIA in 30 months

Delhi International Airport Ltd said on May 18 that it will fund a new automated people mover at Indira Gandhi International Airport, setting a 30-month timeline for a rail link between Terminal 3, Terminal 2, Terminal 1, Aerocity and cargo city. The operator put the project cost at Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore and said the system is intended to speed inter-terminal transfers at India’s busiest airport. The plan revives a project DIAL had already taken to tender in 2024 as a 7.7-km automated people mover, or APM, with four stations. Delhi Airport’s current transit guidance still directs passengers to shuttle buses, feeder buses and taxis for terminal-to-terminal trips. ### What exactly is Delhi airport building? DIAL said the project is an automated people mover, the airport-style rail system commonly used to move passengers between terminals and nearby airport districts. The route described in the latest report would connect T3 and T2 with T1, Aerocity and cargo city, creating a dedicated internal link for airport transfers. A 2024 tender issued by DIAL described the scheme as a 7.7-km elevated-and-at-grade APM to connect Terminal 3 and Terminal 2 with Terminal 1 through four stations. Industry reports tracking that tender said the line would also serve Aerocity and cargo facilities, matching the alignment now being described for the air train. ### Why is DIAL pushing the project now? Delhi Airport’s own transit pages show why the project matters operationally. The airport says Terminal 1 is about 8 km from Terminal 3, and passengers moving between terminals currently rely on free shuttle buses, DMRC feeder buses and taxis. The airport website says the free shuttle bus between terminals runs every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day. That existing arrangement is workable, but it depends on road movement across a large airport campus rather than a dedicated fixed guideway. The Times of India reported that DIAL expects the new system to cut transfer times, ease passenger flow and improve airport connectivity. Those are the operator’s stated goals for the project. ### How far along is the project? DIAL had already moved the project into the market in September 2024. Tender reports at the time said the airport operator invited bids to build and operate the APM under a design, build, finance, operate and transfer model. The 2024 documentation described a system with elevated and surface sections rather than a fully underground link. Reports on the tender said the alignment was designed to connect T1 with T2 and T3 while also serving Aerocity and cargo city, making the current announcement look like a funding and execution push rather than a brand-new concept. ### What will passengers notice if it is completed on time? Terminal 3 is Delhi Airport’s international and major domestic hub, while Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 handle domestic traffic, according to the airport’s transit guide. That makes inter-terminal movement a recurring issue for passengers with split itineraries, especially when flights operate from different terminals. A dedicated APM would replace part of that road-based transfer burden with an internal rail connection. DIAL has not yet publicly detailed fares, train frequency or station layouts in the material reviewed, but the operator has said the service is meant to provide seamless transfers across the airport complex. ### What happens next? The 30-month clock cited by DIAL points to a completion target around late 2028 if work proceeds from the May 18, 2026 announcement. The next concrete milestone will be execution activity tied to the airport operator’s tendered APM plan — including contractor selection, construction progress and station-level details for T3/T2, T1, Aerocity and cargo city.