Air-Rail Link

It takes passengers between the high-level railway station concourse and the airport terminal buildings, covering a distance of 585 metres (1,919 ft).

Propulsion and braking were performed using linear induction motors while sensors regulated the vertical and lateral air gaps to assure ride quality and minimise power consumption.

It was discontinued in 1995 due to a lack of spare parts and obsolesce issues; the cost of its reinstatement as a maglev was deemed to be too great.

During 1981, contracts were awarded to a consortium of GEC, Balfour Beatty, Brush Electrical Machines and Metro-Cammell under the name "People Mover Group", along with John Laing.

Each train operated on independent tracks and took around 90 seconds to perform a one-way trip, during which it would attain a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h).

A key element of the system were the sensors that regulated the vertical and lateral air gaps, the function of which was both to assure ride quality and minimise power consumption.

[9] On 18 June 1995, the system operated for the final time; by this point, an investigation had concluded that the cost of reinstating and maintaining the Maglev would be too high.

The third carriage (number 2) was put up for sale in an auction on eBay in late 2010 after lying unused at the airport since the system's closure.

It is a dual track shuttle with two stations and two trains, each of two cars, operating independently at a speed of 36 kilometres per hour (22 mph).

Several modifications were necessary to the guideway; chiefly, the support columns needed strengthening to withstand the higher loads imposed by the cables.

[19] To this end, carbon fibre plates were bonded to the external face of the concrete columns at positions where the track runs on radius.

The original Birmingham International maglev shuttle
The new system was installed on top of the existing 1980s concrete Maglev guideway structure.