Shanghai Maglev Train
Encyclopedia
The Shanghai Maglev Train or Shanghai Transrapid is a magnetic levitation train, or maglev line that operates in Shanghai
, China
. It is the first commercially operated high-speed
magnetic levitation line in the world. The train line was designed to connect Shanghai Pudong International Airport
and the outskirts of central Pudong
where passengers could interchange to the Shanghai Metro
to continue their trip to the city center.
Construction of the line began in 1 March 2001 and public commercial service commenced on 1 January 2004. The top operational commercial speed of this train is 431 km/h (268 mph), making it the world's fastest train in regular commercial services since its opening in 2004, faster than TGV in France and also faster than the latest CRH conventional wheel train in China at 350 km/h (217 mph). During a non-commercial test run on 12 November 2003, a maglev train achieved a Chinese record speed of 501 km/h (311.3 mph). The top operational speed of 431 km/h (268 mph) is also faster than the top speed of any production automobile (except for the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which has roughly the same top speed), Formula One car
, or MotoGP super bikes.
The train set and tracks were built by Siemens
. The electrification of the train was developed by VAHLE, Inc. Two commercial maglev systems had predated the Shanghai system—the Birmingham Maglev in the United Kingdom and the Berlin M-Bahn
—both were low-speed operations and had closed before the opening of the Shanghai Maglev Train.
The line is often considered part of the Shanghai Metro
network, although there is a separate fare system.
The line runs from Longyang Road station in Pudong to Pudong International Airport; The Pudong International Airport station provides a transfer to Line 2, but the Longyang Road station provides access to Line 2 and LIne 7. At full speed, the journey takes 7 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the distance of 30 km (18.6 mi), although some trains in the early morning and late afternoon take about 50 seconds longer. A train can reach 350 km/h (217 mph) in 2 minutes, with the maximum normal operation speed of 431 km/h (268 mph) reached thereafter.
Hans-Dieter Bott, vice president of Siemens when they won the contract to build the rail link, stated that "Transrapid views the Shanghai line, where the ride will last just eight minutes, largely as a sales tool. This serves as a demonstration for China to show that this works and can be used for longer distances, such as Shanghai to Beijing". However, the decision was eventually made to implement the Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway with conventional high-speed technology, and to build maglev tracks for the shorter Shanghai-Hangzhou
trip instead.
50 (US$7.27), or ¥40 ($5.81) for those passengers holding a receipt or proof of an airline ticket purchase. A round-trip return ticket costs ¥80 ($11.63) and VIP
tickets cost double the standard fare.
Following the opening, overall maglev train ridership levels were at 20% of capacity. The levels were attributed to limited operating hours, the short length of the line, high ticket prices and that it "virtually goes nowhere", terminating at Longyang Road in Pudong another 20 min by subway from the city centre.
extension project was proposed by the Shanghai Urban Planning Administrative Bureau. The extension would continue the existing line towards Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, running via Shanghai South Railway Station
and the Expo 2010
site, with a possible continuation towards Hangzhou. The extension would allow transferring between the two airports — located 55 km (34.2 mi) apart — in approximately 15 minutes.
The plan for the extension to Hangzhou was first approved by the central government in February 2006, with a planned date of completion in time for 2010. Work was suspended in 2008, owing to public protests over radiation fears. According to China Daily, as reported on People's Daily Online 27 February 2009, the Shanghai municipal government is considering building the maglev line underground to allay the public's fear of electromagnetic pollution and the final decision on the maglev line had to be approved by the National Development and Reform commission.
The extension to Hangzhou was finally approved in March 2010, and began in late 2010. The new link will be 199.5 km (124 mi) long, 24 km (14.9 mi) longer than the original plan. The top speed is expected to be 450 km/h (280 mph) but limited to 200 km/h (124 mph) in built-up areas.
In October 2010 the Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway
was opened that brought the travelling time between the two cities down to 45 minutes. Plans for a Maglev link are suspended, as an official has revealed.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It is the first commercially operated high-speed
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
magnetic levitation line in the world. The train line was designed to connect Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is the primary international airport serving Shanghai, China, and a major aviation hub in Asia. The other major airport in Shanghai, Hongqiao, mainly serves domestic flights...
and the outskirts of central Pudong
Pudong
Pudong |Bank]]") is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi. Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial...
where passengers could interchange to the Shanghai Metro
Shanghai Metro
The Shanghai Metro is the urban rapid transit system of China's largest city, Shanghai. The system incorporates both subway and light rail lines. It opened in 1995, making Shanghai the third city in Mainland China, after Beijing and Tianjin, to have a rapid transit system...
to continue their trip to the city center.
Construction of the line began in 1 March 2001 and public commercial service commenced on 1 January 2004. The top operational commercial speed of this train is 431 km/h (268 mph), making it the world's fastest train in regular commercial services since its opening in 2004, faster than TGV in France and also faster than the latest CRH conventional wheel train in China at 350 km/h (217 mph). During a non-commercial test run on 12 November 2003, a maglev train achieved a Chinese record speed of 501 km/h (311.3 mph). The top operational speed of 431 km/h (268 mph) is also faster than the top speed of any production automobile (except for the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which has roughly the same top speed), Formula One car
Formula One car
A modern Formula One car is a single-seat, open cockpit, open wheel racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver. The regulations governing the cars are unique to the championship...
, or MotoGP super bikes.
The train set and tracks were built by Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
. The electrification of the train was developed by VAHLE, Inc. Two commercial maglev systems had predated the Shanghai system—the Birmingham Maglev in the United Kingdom and the Berlin M-Bahn
M-Bahn
The M-Bahn or Magnetbahn was an elevated Maglev train line operating in Berlin, Germany in 1991. The line was 1.6 km in length, and featured three stations, two of which were newly constructed...
—both were low-speed operations and had closed before the opening of the Shanghai Maglev Train.
The line is often considered part of the Shanghai Metro
Shanghai Metro
The Shanghai Metro is the urban rapid transit system of China's largest city, Shanghai. The system incorporates both subway and light rail lines. It opened in 1995, making Shanghai the third city in Mainland China, after Beijing and Tianjin, to have a rapid transit system...
network, although there is a separate fare system.
Background
Hans-Dieter Bott, vice president of Siemens when they won the contract to build the rail link, stated that "Transrapid views the Shanghai line, where the ride will last just eight minutes, largely as a sales tool. This serves as a demonstration for China to show that this works and can be used for longer distances, such as Shanghai to Beijing". However, the decision was eventually made to implement the Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway with conventional high-speed technology, and to build maglev tracks for the shorter Shanghai-Hangzhou
Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train
Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train is a proposed maglev train line from Shanghai to Hangzhou, to be built by Germany's Transrapid consortium . Originally planned to be ready for Expo 2010, the controversial project was repeatedly delayed, with final approval being granted on August 18, 2008...
trip instead.
Operation
The line is operated by Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co., Ltd. , the line operates daily from 6:45 AM to 9:30 PM, with services every 8 to 10 minutes. A one-way ticket costs ¥Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
50 (US$7.27), or ¥40 ($5.81) for those passengers holding a receipt or proof of an airline ticket purchase. A round-trip return ticket costs ¥80 ($11.63) and VIP
VIP
VIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
tickets cost double the standard fare.
Following the opening, overall maglev train ridership levels were at 20% of capacity. The levels were attributed to limited operating hours, the short length of the line, high ticket prices and that it "virtually goes nowhere", terminating at Longyang Road in Pudong another 20 min by subway from the city centre.
| Daytime hours | 06:45–08:45 | 09:00–10:45 | 11:00–12:45 | 13:00–16:45 | 17:00–21:40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey time (minutes) | 8:10 | 7:20 | 8:10 | 7:20 | 8:10 |
| Maximum speed | 301 km/h (187 mph) | 431 km/h (268 mph) | 301 km/h (187 mph) | 431 km/h (268 mph) | 301 km/h (187 mph) |
| Average speed | 224 km/h (139 mph) | 251 km/h (156 mph) | 224 km/h (139 mph) | 251 km/h (156 mph) | 224 km/h (139 mph) |
| Interval | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | 20 minutes |
Construction
The Shanghai Transrapid project took ¥10 billion (US$1.33bn) and two and a half years to complete. The line is 30.5 km (18.95 mi) track and has a further separate track leading to a maintenance facility.Extensions
In January 2006, the Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev TrainShanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train
Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train is a proposed maglev train line from Shanghai to Hangzhou, to be built by Germany's Transrapid consortium . Originally planned to be ready for Expo 2010, the controversial project was repeatedly delayed, with final approval being granted on August 18, 2008...
extension project was proposed by the Shanghai Urban Planning Administrative Bureau. The extension would continue the existing line towards Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, running via Shanghai South Railway Station
Shanghai south railway station
Shanghai South Railway Station, also Shanghai South Station , is a railway station in the city of Shanghai, China. Located in the Xuhui District, its importance is second only to the Shanghai Railway Station...
and the Expo 2010
Expo 2010
Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It was a major World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 1992...
site, with a possible continuation towards Hangzhou. The extension would allow transferring between the two airports — located 55 km (34.2 mi) apart — in approximately 15 minutes.
The plan for the extension to Hangzhou was first approved by the central government in February 2006, with a planned date of completion in time for 2010. Work was suspended in 2008, owing to public protests over radiation fears. According to China Daily, as reported on People's Daily Online 27 February 2009, the Shanghai municipal government is considering building the maglev line underground to allay the public's fear of electromagnetic pollution and the final decision on the maglev line had to be approved by the National Development and Reform commission.
The extension to Hangzhou was finally approved in March 2010, and began in late 2010. The new link will be 199.5 km (124 mi) long, 24 km (14.9 mi) longer than the original plan. The top speed is expected to be 450 km/h (280 mph) but limited to 200 km/h (124 mph) in built-up areas.
In October 2010 the Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway
Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway
The Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway , also known as the Huhang High-Speed Railway or Huhang Passenger Railway is a high-speed rail line in China between Shanghai and Hangzhou. The line is in length and designed for commercial train service at . It was built in 20 months and opened on October...
was opened that brought the travelling time between the two cities down to 45 minutes. Plans for a Maglev link are suspended, as an official has revealed.
Incidents
On 11 August 2006, a Maglev train compartment caught fire at 2:40 p.m., after having left Pudong International Airport in the direction of Pudong Longyang Road Station. There were no injuries aboard. Preliminary reports indicated that an electrical problem may have been the cause.Stations
| English |
Hanzi |
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| Longyang Road | 龙阳路 | Pudong Pudong Pudong |Bank]]") is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi. Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial... |
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| Pudong International Airport Pudong International Airport (Shanghai Metro) Pudong International Airport is the name of a station on the Shanghai Maglev Train and also a station on Line 2, part of the line's eastern extension which has been completed in 2010. The station is located at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport.... |
浦东国际机场 | ||