The Air-Rail Link from Doppelmayr.
From August 10 to 16, 2026, Birmingham was entirely focused on the European Athletics Championships. It was the first time the European Athletics Championships were held in Great Britain. While athletes competed for medals and personal bests at Alexander Stadium, the Air-Rail Link at Birmingham Airport was also in daily operation.
Fast connection to the airport
The Air-Rail Link connects Birmingham International railway station with the airport. The system was built by Doppelmayr as a Cable Liner® automated people mover and has been in operation since 2003.
The system transports passengers to the terminal along a 471-meter route in around 90 seconds, reaching speeds of up to 32 km/h.
The pull cable remains invisible.
What passengers barely notice during the ride is an important part of the system: the vehicles are moved along the route by a traction cable.
This specific haul rope undergoes regular inspections. ROTEC carries out the annual rope inspection in Birmingham for our client, Doppelmayr Cable Car.
Magnetic testing with the ROPESYS R58
The ROPESYS R58 is used for the inspection. The traction cable undergoes magnetic testing, allowing for the detection of internal changes in the wire rope that are not visible from the outside.
The test provides information about the condition of the pull rope and thus supports the regular technical assessment of the system.
Technology that has to work every day
For passengers, the Air-Rail Link is primarily a fast connection between the train station and the airport. The technical work behind it, however, remains largely invisible.
This is precisely why regular inspection of the haul rope is important. After all, the cable-hauled automated people mover relies on the interaction of many components, and the haul rope plays a central role in this process.
Reliable during ongoing operation
This infrastructure must function reliably even during a major event like the European Athletics Championships. While thousands of visitors flocked to Birmingham and used public transport, the Air-Rail Link continued to operate.
The rope test in Birmingham is a good example of a technical task that takes place in the background but plays an important role in the reliable operation of such a system.
ROTEC – we make ropes safe.
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