The maglev technology is planned to be implemented in the country that exported it. A magnetic elevation train link from Munich's Hauptbahnhof (main station) to the airport is anticipated to start service as early as 2012. The 40 kilometer route will reduce the current 40 minute S-Bahn suburban train ride to 10 minutes. One of the only commercially used maglev trains is in Shanghai, also from the airport to the city, but the last stop in Shanghai is still far from the centre. The system was built by the German company Siemens, but Germany currently does not have any commercial operating maglevs. Maglev trains travel seamlessly above a magnetic field and has no friction with tracks. Shanghai's maglevs attain speeds over 430 km / hour, or 268 mph, about 50% faster than the top operating speeds of conventional high speed rail. Munich's mayor has opposed the Bavaria's governor's commitment to the maglev because of the cost. The €1.85 billion (2.6 billon USD) price tag seems wasteful, since a cheaper express railway can be built instead. But, Deutsche Bahn, the country's national railway company, has already promised €165 million, or 233 million USD, and the German federal government is planning to provide an additional €925 million (1.3 billion USD). Munich, though, should be happy that the city at least has an airport rail link, since many other cities are fighting to extend their train to the plane.
Source:
International Herald Tribune
Photo: A maglev train arriving at Pudong Airport in Shanghai.
