IARO heads to Hong Kong for Super Terminal Expo 2026
IARO will be participating in Super Terminal Expo 2026 in Hong Kong from 3–5 November, bringing airport-rail connectivity firmly into the discussion at one of Asia-Pacific’s major events for the future of passenger terminals, transport and infrastructure.
Taking place at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong, Super Terminal Expo will bring together airport authorities, transport operators, infrastructure specialists, technology providers and other industry stakeholders to examine the next generation of terminal development and connectivity.
IARO will have a strong presence throughout the three-day event, with its own exhibition stand providing a meeting point for members, partners and other organisations interested in improving connections between airports and their surrounding rail and public transport networks.
A particular highlight will take place on Wednesday 4 November, when IARO will organise a dedicated 90-minute Air-Rail Forum. The session will feature presentations followed by a moderated panel discussion examining the development of airport-rail links and the opportunities for better integration between aviation, rail and wider transport networks.
The Forum will provide an opportunity to showcase projects and experience from across the IARO network, while also introducing the work of the Association to the wider international airport community attending the Expo.
IARO members interested in giving a presentation or participating in the panel discussion are encouraged to get involved. Please contact Patrick at patrick@iaro.com (mailto:patrick@iaro.com) if you would like to discuss taking part.
Members attending Super Terminal Expo are also invited to visit the IARO exhibition stand during the event. It will provide an informal base for meetings, networking and discussions with colleagues from across the airport and transport sectors.
3–5 November 2026 | AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong
Find out more about Super Terminal Expo 2026 (superterminalexpo.com)
Less than 2 Weeks to Go
IARO 2026 Air-Rail Conference and Networking Meeting - Brussels Airport, 7-8 October
There are now just three weeks to go until the IARO 2026 Air-Rail Conference and Networking Meeting, hosted by Brussels Airport on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October.
The two-day programme will bring together IARO members and industry stakeholders for airport and facility visits, conference sessions, panel discussions and networking, with a strong focus on the future development of air-rail and intermodal transport.
Wednesday’s programme includes a visit to the Brussels Airport Aviation Training Centre (AHLEX), presentations from Brussels Airlines and DB Fernverkehr, a landside and airside airport tour highlighting the future Intermodal Hub, followed by the Welcome to Brussels Networking Reception and Dinner.
On Thursday, conference sessions will address high-speed and long-distance rail connectivity to airports, airport development and design, integrated air-rail systems, new technology and disruption management. Speakers will represent organisations including the European Commission, Infrabel, Brussels Airlines, DB Fernverkehr, Foster + Partners, Brussels Airport, Kuala Lumpur Express Rail Link, SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, Airport Intelligence and AccesRail.
Participation is free of charge for IARO Members, but advance registration is essential.
Keisei Railway to link Narita and Haneda airports
A new limited express train service between Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports is expected to start operating in the 2030s and should reduce the current travel time of about 90 minutes between the two. This aims to make it easier for inbound tourists arriving at Narita airport (mainly handling international flights) to transfer to domestic flights at Haneda airport and travel onward to destinations across Japan.
Keisei Electric Railway plans to introduce a new limited express service in 2028 between Narita Airport Station and Oshiage Station in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward, before extending it in the 2030s through the Toei Asakusa and Keikyu lines to Haneda airport. The project also calls for the construction of a new elevated station and tracks for Keisei’s Narita Sky Access Line at Narita airport, which links the airport with central Tokyo.
The plan aims to increase transport capacity by adding a second track to single-track sections on the Keisei and JR East, networks. With the new station and additional track, the number of limited express trains each hour is likely to nearly double.
There has been an inter-airport link since late last century, the Keisei/Keikyu Narita-Haneda Express, operating a mix of stopping and limited stop trains on existing infrastructure.
IARO Express 693 carried an article about air-rail cooperation in Japan. Issue 682 reported on creation of a new JR East link to Haneda.
Sources Straits Times (straitstimes.com ) and the IARO database
Barcelona Airport – new rail connection to open next year
Adif, Spain’s railway infrastructure manager, has completed work on the second phase of the new rail access to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, a project costing over €400m that will significantly improve rail connections between the airport and the city and it’s commuter rail network.
The project is one of the most complex and extensive investments made in recent years in Catalonia’s rail infrastructure (railwaypro.com) . Following the completion of infrastructure and installation work, rolling stock test running has begun. At the same time, simulations will be conducted to verify emergency response procedures and the operation of civil protection systems in the event of an emergency, before obtaining all necessary authorisations for the opening of commercial service.
The new route (R-Airport) was built in two phases with a total length of 5.2 km, of which 4.3 km are in tunnels. The double-track line branches off the Barcelona–Vilanova main line and provides a direct connection between the airport’s two terminals, T1 and T2. With the new connection, direct services between the airport, downtown Barcelona, and the entire Rodalies network can start. Travel time between Terminal 1 and downtown will be approximately 19 minutes, and estimates indicate that between 7 and 9 million passengers will use the new line each year.
To complete the project, over 10.4 km of ballastless track and approximately 3.6 km of ballasted track were built, using over 28 km of rail and nearly 6,700 m³ of ballast. The work also included the installation of electrification, ventilation, rail safety, and telecommunications systems.
Both stations are underground and have direct step-free access to the terminals. Terminal 1 station has a central platform with a total length of 434 meters, three elevators, and eight escalators. Terminal 2 station has two platforms, each 200 meters long, and has seven elevators and eight escalators. It has a direct connection to the orbital Metro Line 9, which has connected both terminals to the western edge of the city since 2016: it terminates at Zona Universitaria and does not serve the city centre.
The two stations were designed to facilitate quick transfers between trains and planes, and have modern passenger information systems, access control, lighting, air conditioning, signaling, evacuation routes, and civil protection equipment.
The project has received European funding through the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, under the NextGenerationEU programme. When the line opens in the first half of next year, trains will run every 15 minutes to both terminals, doubling the current frequency. 10 new trains have been built by Alstom for the service.
The airport’s original Rodalies station, which opened in 1975, only serves the old T2: that station will become redundant and will close once the new link opens.
The present suburban terminus at Barcelona airport
IARO Express 665 reported on a possible high speed link to the airport, from the Madrid – Barcelona main line.
Sources Railway Pro (railwaypro.com ), The Olive Express (theolivepress.es ) and the IARO database
Seville Airport rail link – progress at last
Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has approved the alignment for a proposed 4.7km rail link between Seville’s main station, Santa Justa, and Seville Airport. The decision earlier this year comes after a feasibility study looked at several possible options for the alignment. The chosen option, designated North 3, involves 92.5% of the line running underground, including an intermediate station in the Alcosa Park district. Current estimates indicate a construction cost of at least €296m.
The announcement was made in Seville by Spain’s first deputy prime minister and finance minister, who said that the feasibility study would be released for public consultation before the summer, allowing the construction contract to be tendered shortly afterwards.
The new line is expected to reduce the journey time between Santa Justa and the airport to less than 13 minutes compared with around 35 minutes on the airport bus service and 20 minutes by car. The airport recently announced a €235m upgrade programme due to be delivered between 2027 and 2031.
The new line is expected to reduce the journey time between Santa Justa and the airport to less than 13 minutes
A quarter of a century ago, a tram link to the airport was studied as part of a 3-line network: in 2007 there were plans for the airport to be on a high speed line between the city and the Cordoba/Malaga line.
Sources International Railway Journal (railjournal.com ) and the IARO database
Birmingham - Manchester Airport service to be launched next year
A planned London Northwestern Railway service will run between Birmingham and Manchester airport every hour from May 2027. Trains will run from Birmingham New Street through the Black Country, Staffordshire and Cheshire. At the moment, passengers travelling to the airport have to change trains at Crewe, Wilmslow or in Manchester city centre.
LNWR class 730 emu, the type likely to be used on the service
The direct airport service will be the second of two stages of introduction, with the first starting on 13 December. Then, trains will run between Birmingham and Crewe. Five months later, the service will be extended to Manchester Airport.
Source BBC (bbc.co.uk )
Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport’s 45 year old people-mover
An underground automated people-mover system at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) built by Disney engineers celebrated 45 years of service in mid-August. Since opening on August 17, 1981, IAH's Subway has moved millions of passengers a year through its airport system.
In the late 1960s, Walt Disney and his theme park design firm, WED Enterprises, were building rides and attractions for Disneyland. The firm was looking into concepts for transportation systems that could have real-world applications.
One of these ideas became the PeopleMover (d23.com) , a continuously moving train ride that opened in the Tomorrowland section of the park in 1967. The attraction was then redesigned and replicated for Walt Disney World, opening in 1975 as the WEDway PeopleMover. (d23.com) This new version was powered by linear induction motors. In 1976, the PeopleMover was certified by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration for urban transit use, opening the gates for WED Enterprises to design transportation systems for the real world.
At that time, IAH was seeing a period of growth as its terminals expanded, and a higher passenger volume contributed to delays in transfers between terminals. Apparently a Disney executive who traveled through Houston frequently was so frustrated by the delays that he suggested that Disney could build a transportation system for the airport.
After multiple proposals and a competitive bid process, WED Enterprises was selected in 1979 to build the new transportation system, built with the same lightweight vehicles and linear induction motors as the WEDway PeopleMover. This made IAH the only airport in the world to install a Disney-designed PeopleMover outside of Disney property.
The PeopleMover opened in August 1981 in a ceremony that included Houston leaders alongside Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
Forty-five years later, the 3km system has continued to be a reliable means of transport between IAH's multiple terminals, with a reported 99.76% reliability rate in 2025.
The automated people-mover at Bush Airport
IARO Express 379 reported on a possible light rail extension to Houston’s other airport, Hobby.
Source ABC7 (abc7.com )