Pudong Airport Maglev in Depth

Believe me. This article is the most in depth one on the topic of Maglev of Shanghai Pudong Airport. I have talked about Maglev before in these two articles: Maglev Operates in Shanghai and Ticket for Maglev Tour. Here are the Maglev pictures I always planned to take.

Below: Before I see the real Maglev train on the rail, the large advertisement of Maglev on the way out of PVG (Pudong Airport) has attracted my attention. SIEMENS is famous in China but the name of ThyssenKrupp was heard only when Maglev is mentioned. I believe most passengers will see this Maglev advertisement when they just get into a cab or his car and drive out of PVG.

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Maglev Advertisement © Jian Shuo Wang

Maglev Leaving Station

I walked across a long way from the Departure Hall of PVG to the rail road of the Maglev line. Below is the entrance of the station for the Maglev trains. The two guard asked me to stay away from the rail road politely. They said there will be no train today. Obviously, they were lying just to keep me away from the Maglev rail.

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Gate of the Maglev Station. © Jian Shuo Wang

Just before I turned and started to go away, a Maglev train started from the station and headed to downtown Shanghai. I quickly pointed the camera and took the picture below (My first Maglev picture). The head of the train just got out of the station.

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Maglev Train with Head Just Out of Station. © Jian Shuo Wang

Below is a series of pictures showing the Maglev train moving away.

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Maglev head out of Station. Photo 2. © Jian Shuo Wang

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© Jian Shuo Wang

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© Jian Shuo Wang

The startup speed of Maglev is not very fast, but it just disappeared before I can see the train clearly.

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Maglev left station – far away from where I stayed. © Jian Shuo Wang

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Maglev almost out of sight. © Jian Shuo Wang

Maglev On Railway

Later, I found the train would pass the station and reach the other side of the station, stay there for about 2 minutes and then move back into the station, take the passenger and go for the downtown direction. So I have plenty of time to take more pictures for this most advanced train in the world. You can see the Maglev train is parking near the tower of the airport.

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Maglev and the control tower of the Pudong Airport. © Jian Shuo Wang

The same picture with horizontal view.

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Maglev and the control tower of the Pudong Airport – horizontal version © Jian Shuo Wang

The above two Maglev pictures were quoted in some books and TV commercials (in Japan).

From the picture below, you can clearly see the head of the train and the “Shanghai Transrapid” mark on the Maglev train.

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Maglev with Shanghai transrapid on the train. © Jian Shuo Wang

This is the cart for the train. It seems the seat in it is very comfortable. I didn’t get into the cart yet since the ticket price for the tour (before it officially operate) is just too high. (Update: The price was cut twice and now it is 40 RMB for single trip if you hold the ticket of the flight of the same day. Aug-2007)

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© Jian Shuo Wang

Infrastructure

The over head bridge connecting Pudong Airport and the Maglev station.

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© Jian Shuo Wang

Below: This is the end the Maglev’s railway. The huge installation and testing cart was parked on the right railway.

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© Jian Shuo Wang

Below: More details about the huge machine.

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© Jian Shuo Wang

Looking from the other side of the railway. A big german guy was working on the electronic equipment near the train, but I forgot to take a picture for him.

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© Jian Shuo Wang

The lovely tree before the Maglev station.

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© Jian Shuo Wang

Fantanstic Train

I hope the Maglev train will operate as scheduled despite of the recent technical difficulties.

Note: Please give credit to this site if you want to use any of the picture. Yes. I grant anyone the permission to use the pictures on this page as long as 1) It is for non-commercial use. 2) Links back.

Updated Aug 18, 2003

According to this letter from the CEO of American Maglev,

The German train is a testament to great technological innovation, but it is indeed very expensive. Based on the experience in Shanghai, the cost of the German Maglev technology would be much closer to $60 million a kilometre than the $2 million suggested previously.

Wow. Is it true? The cost of Maglev seems to be a national secret right now and I cannot find any information on it.

Updated Oct 10, 2003

According to the Morning Post, the MagLev will begin trial business operation from tomorrow (Oct 11, 2003).

Although the sightseeing tour of Maglev has been operating for about half year, tomorrow is the first time the Maglev drop passengers at Pudong Airport – which means passengers will be able to use the Maglev for transportation propose only, not just for tour.

More Information

Updated April 21, 2004

Maglev started daily operation already. It operates from 8:30 to 17:30 at interval of 20 minutes. The ticket price for single trip is 50 RMB and 80 RMB for round trip.

Also on this Site

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Update Inside Maglev

Inside Pudong Airport Maglev Train

230 thoughts on “Pudong Airport Maglev in Depth

  1. It’s so skeptical in publicity on future’s real operation of this business. Think it again, how many people will take this fashion stuff to Pudong airport?

  2. Though the price is high. There always be many people who want to be the first one to taste the crab in shanghai.(hehe,chinEnglish)

    When it first open to the public. the price of that entire month was all sold out immediately.

    i think the price is not that worth.

    the Beijing-shanghai Express Railway, the first of its kind in China, has been the focus of vehement competition among Japan, Germany, and France since it was first planned in 1994. Foreign investors hope the Beijing-shanghai line is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to future high-speed railways.

    Just pay attention to the three country’s plan. German for its maglev system. Japan for its railway and don’t forget France’s TGV.

    Though German’s maglev is very popular here and if the German win the bid, then the per-km cost of the maglev system is three times higher than railway system and only carry half the number of people and the ticket price is five times higher than the rail system. In addition, Germany doesn’t want to transfer its core technology, while the Chinese government hopes to gain the right of using the system in the future.

    Anyway it is still too early to predict who will win the bid then.

  3. When is the Maglev scheduled to operate for the public? I also heard someone tell me that you cannot bring luggage on the train. Is that true? If so, how do people traveling bring their stuff home?

  4. David, according to the news report, the highest speed will be 430 km/hour.

    Johnny, the Maglev WAS scheduled to operate this year, but the recent accident of the Maglev line during the final testing may postpone the date. The new date is not available, as far as I know.

    I haven’t hear about the regulation about the luggage on the train, since the current operation is only for tour and this rule may apply. For the real operation, maybe it will be changed.

    A terminal inside the city, just on the Nanjing West Road, near the Rizt-Calrton Hotel, has been built. Travellers can check-in their luggage there. However, this terminal seems useless since I heard only very few flights accept luggage there.

  5. What kind of accident occured? I dont see what kind of accident can occur on maglev when it seems to be so safe.

  6. Mathias,

    I don’t know when the maglev train is scheduled to operrate this year, either. What a coincidence.

  7. Jian Shuo Wang,

    Your pictures of the Shanghai Transrapid are very good. I would like your permission to use them in a book I am writing that includes pictures of Transrapid’s test track and some of the Shanghai system.

    Any and all comments in my book are favorable to the Transrapid and other monorail operations around the world.

    If you approve, please let me know how the picture credit[s] should appear.

    Sincerely,

    Bob

    Robert Ruehrdanz

  8. Hi! Do you have any information on how to make a maglev train? We have an exhibit in our school and our class is planning to make a diorama of Maglev Train. We somehow know the concept of Maglev but can you help us solve our problem? We were thinking on how we can make our maglev move. Hope you can help us. Thank you very much! Hope to receive answers from you=D

  9. Is there a large number of taxis serving the LongYangLu subway station during daytime? Would appreciate it if anyone could offer a pointer or experience.

  10. There are many taxis waiting there, at any time. Not just because of the Maglev. It is also the Longyang Rd. Station of Metro #2. The two stations are acturally built together.

  11. Thank you for the great pictures. Please keep updating with more! Hope this is only the start of a world wide acceptance of Maglev!!

  12. I took the Shanghai MagLev train in Feb 2004. At that time, the price was 75 RMB for a standard ticket and 150 RMB for a VIP (1st class) ticket. We brought our luggage on the train. It went 431 kph at it’s fastest.

    And the telephone poles were like blades of grass.

    Very impressive.

  13. My husband and I will be visiting Shanghai soon. We are fascinated by the maglev and hope to ride it. Where are the stations? Is there a train schedule on the Internet? Are there any schedules printed in English?

    Your pictures are excellent. I enjoyed seeing them.

    Jeannie Hackett

  14. There is no English schedule on the Internet, and maybe there is no Chinese version. I can tell you it starts from the Pudong Airport at interval of 20 minutes, and the last train ends around 1700.

  15. I hope to take the train Thursday this week but arrive at 1730 at Pudong. by the time I get my bag it’ll be 1830 – too late for the last train to Longyang Rd?

  16. Hi,

    I was in Shanghai last week but arrived at 6 in the morning. Forgot to check out the Meglev. Does anyone knows what time the first ride starts?

    Thanks.

  17. can someone e mail me with info on how to get maglev tickets? I will be in Shanghai in April with a group of friends and we all want to get a ride on the train. Thanks

    rita

  18. I wish to travel with my family from Airport to Longyang. Is there any facility of porters at Longyang to handle the baggage?

    Thanks and regards

    S. Chowdhury

  19. Dear Shuo Wang !

    your Web Site is fantastic. i have 2 questions: is the MAGLEV train already running for all people and where can i get the tickets – is it easy to get tickets ?

    Thanks a lot !

    Greetings from Austria

  20. Yes. It is already running for all people. You can buy the ticket AFTER you arrive at the Pudong Airport. It is easy to get it since not many people buy tickets (maybe because they don’t know how to buy a ticket)

    Regards

    Jian Shuo

  21. Thanks for your answer !

    I´ve just read in the internet, that the trains run only in the mornings – do you know the operating hours weekdays and on weekends ?

    Kindly regards

    Gunther Jäger

  22. Here’s my experience of the Shanghai Maglev. I took a return trip on 18 April:

    The sleek, surprisingly small, six-carriage train glided into the station with a satisfying low-pitched throb, and we boarded. Due to the lack of rolling friction, commencement of motion was imperceptible, but once started, the acceleration was constant (judging by the gentle push of the seat against my back). The line is raised on pylons and cambered accurately so there is no lateral G-force at any stage. This, combined with the constant acceleration, means one can walk around quite safely in the cabin at all times. There are no seat belts.

    After a few minutes we reached our top speed of – get this – 431 kmh (confirmed by the thoughtfully-placed digital displays in each carriage). Even the slightest curve at this speed requires a serious camber, so one can occasionally enjoy looking straight _down_ through the window as one whizzes over freeways and canals. The throb of the electric motors has risen to a roar, but progress is still much smoother than that of a suburban train travelling at a tenth of this speed.

    After one or two minutes at top velocity, an equally smooth deceleration delivered us gently into the terminus at Pudong International Airport. And like a child at the base of a Ferris wheel, all I could say was, “Let’s go again! Let’s go again!”

    Cost of a return fare: 80 yuan (about A$13). There are luggage racks in each carriage. Luggage is X-rayed on the way through to the platform.

  23. I am looking for the schedules for trains in China

    traveling from Xuzhou to the Pudong Airport. Also

    the cost for this train. Is there a website I can

    go to.

    Thanks.

    Donna Robinson

  24. Hi, a friend and I are flying into Pudong on the 14th May. Will we be able to use the train to travel into the city using the MagLev? We arrive around 10am. Thanks

  25. Without doing my homework, I arrived at the LongYangLu Metro station at 17:30 hoping to take the Maglev to the airport for a 20:00 flight. I was disappointed that the train stops running so early. Is there a reason for this? Maybe they dont want to run the trains in the dark.

    There were a lot of taxi drivers waiting by the entrance to the Maglev station waiting to take late arriving Maglev riders to the airport (for about 100 RMB), so I wasnt the only one who thinks they should run the trains later.

  26. The only thing I want to see coming out of trainsrapid or any one else thats going to make a maglev train, is a smaller more car sized transport. Realy its not logical cause they want biger transports for moving a lot of people(public transportation),but at least for our entertainment. I don’t know how much Shanghais train weighs, but its perty long, so of coures A car sized transport mabey holding 4to6 people would be much shorter making it much lighter. Shudent A very much lighter maglev travel at even more fantasic speeds? I dont know how it works with wieght to perpolsion, but logicly it sounds right. A 1 person transport would be the best. The Shanghai maglev alredy goes 260 mph,so if weight to perpolsion works logicly, A 1 person transport(remember I don’t know the trains actualy weight) could go 500+ mphs. I just want to see one go supersonic speeds in the near future,cause who knows how long it will take to create a vacume around the trains to suck the air around it to make an even smother ride knowing that its flowting on magnets.

  27. As of 5 may 2004,the maglev ticket is 50 yuan per person with 10 yuan discount if the passenger show a plane ticket.The train accelarated to 200 km/h in just a few seconds and my ride toped at 430 km/h.It took about 8 minutes from start to stop.

    Even if you arrrive at the airport too early in the morning for the first scheduled train it would worth the wait.Too bad the service stop at 1700 pm. .

  28. Took to Maglev from Loyang Rd to Pudong Airport today (27.5.2004) – it was amazing to be zipping along at 430 kph overtaking cars and trucks as if they we standing still. Made the Airport Express in Hong Kong feel pretty tame in comparision :)

    If it went right into the heart of Shanghai (say, to Renmin square) it would be fantastic – are there any plans to extend the line ?

    Helpful tip: We asked Reception at our hotel to phone ahead to make sure it would still be operating by the time we got there (last train was 5:28pm today) as we were leaving late in the day…

  29. Thanks for your wonderful pictures! I experienced 431km/h myself last week and as the train was slowing don, 250km/h almost felt like standing still.

    -h&kon

  30. The Maglev train has become a tourist destination. Tourists often take photo with speedometer. People always taking pictures with each other and of the train. It’s a very festive and happy environment – like an eight minute party train!

  31. Just returned from Shanghai on a business trip. I was surprised to see that the Maglev is in routine operation now – and the price is OK.

    Taxi from my hotel in the old city to the Maglev station was 38RMB, roughly $5US or 6 Euro. The fare for Maglev, if you have an airline ticket, is 40RMB one way to the Pudong airport.

    A taxi direct from my hotel to the Pudong airport is 90RMB, so actually, using taxi from hotel to Maglev, then Maglev to airport cost less than taxi all the way. And the 8 minutes of Maglev subtitutes for 45 minutes of taxi. Faster and cheaper – everybody wins!

    Inside the train, it looks and feels just like a small jet airplane with overhead and underseat luggage, and more leg room than in an airplane. The acceleration is not so strong as an airplane. You basically gently accelerate for four minutes, then gently decelerate for four minutes.

    Fun ride

  32. Looks terrifc! We should have more Maglev trains in the US connecting suburbs to downtowns – every body wins! Maryland to National Airport? Maryland to Dulles Airport? Manhattan to Kennedy, Newark or Laguardia? DC to BWI? The list goes on & on.

  33. Running from 8:30 to 17:30 is simply “out of the dark hours”.

    The train is capable of doing service in darkness, I guess (it was before!).

    YOU guess why they don’t want to provide the service in the dark, keep Bin Laden in mind… :-(

    A high speed train like this will probably never enter service in USA.

  34. What the heck Bin Laden (the C.I.A. agent) got to do with the Shanghai maglev train not running at night time? Did the C.I.A. want to do something to the train at nightime? Or did the C.I.A. or their superior instruct the operator of the train on not to run the train at nightime?

    I personally think the fact the train didn’t run at night, probably due the fact maybe they didn’t want the train to be stuck in the middle nowhere at night should something goes wrong, and also to reduce the wear tear on the train.

    Remember, this is still is an experimental train, despite it’s doing an official service. But then again, even the monorails at the originial Disneyland is experimental (it’s build at around 4/5 scale, unlike its Tokyo’s cousin that was build at around 1/1 scale).

  35. I guess they didn’t extend service because of lack of passengers. With the current advertisement effort, the train is almost empty at day time and how to run it after it goes dark.

  36. This website contains lots of useful information.

    Thank you very much for all the information supplied.

    Regards

    Gwen Fan

  37. Hello i like to know dose anyone know where i can buy a toy model of this train?

    I have seen only one on ebay which is display now on there! Just search for maglev and you will see it! Yea i wish they did run the maglev at night that would be so much fun! The only way you will see the maglev at night is on the screensaver they have. Pretty cool screen saver! I was wondering can you bring a camcorder on the train and record from inside? I am planning to take a trip just to ride this maglev from virginia. Anyone planning to go there just to ride train like me? oh yea and i will check out the city too. I am very crazy about this train! Ever since i seen the train in the book of world record as the fastest train in public service i was hooked!!! I would love talk to someone about this train!

    my email is jetdego2000@yahoo.com and i my yahoo im is esarati300

  38. Hello i like to know dose anyone know where i can buy a toy model of this train?

    I have seen only one on ebay which is display now in there! Just search for maglev and you will see it!!! Yea i wish they did run the maglev at night that would be so much fun! The only way you will see the maglev at night is on the screensaver they have. Pretty cool screen saver! I was wondering can you bring a camcorder on the train and record from inside? I am planning to take a trip just to ride this maglev from virginia. Anyone planning to go there just to ride train like me? oh yea and i will check out the city. I am very crazy about this train! Ever since i seen the train in the book of world record as the fastest train in public service i was hooked!!! I would love talk to someone about this train!

    my email is jetdego2000@yahoo.com and i my yahoo im is esarati300

  39. Just got back from the Shanghai Grand Prix where I was fortunate enough to go on the Maglev on the way. There are posters in the Maglev entrance stating Formula 1 with a picture of a race car 350 km/h, Maglev 430 km/h. Very cool. I can’t say enough good things about this train, the experience is truly amazing. Feels like being in a 747 at take off but without actually taking off. By the time you’ve snapped a few pictures of the speedo at 431km/h and sat down and got over the initial excitement you’ve already arrived at the destination.

    My only negative thought was .. geez if this thing crashed it would be a mess. Putting it in the middle of the freeway although cool for both car drivers and maglev riders alike is probably not the safest idea. Also if anything is on that track its gonna be ugly.. dog, bird, person whatever.

    But don’t miss it for the world !! :-) By the way, got to congratulate the owner of this site for the fantastic pictures.

  40. Hi Anthony

    You can buy models of the train (and other things related) in the maglev exhibition centre at 1.st floor, just below the train terminal at Longyang Lu Station.

    Shanghai certainly has “a few” other things than the maglev, come and see for yourself !

  41. great work, I just came back from China tour. Hope I check the site before I went.

  42. Thanks for the photos and information. Goodbye Concorde. Hello Maglev. Shanghai has moved whole countries aside to become #1 on my list of places to see.

  43. I visited shanghai yesterday and took the maglev from pudong to the city station. It is along way from the rest of shanghai it cost 26 RMB to get to the Oriental pearl tower. I was very excited at the thought of riding this train its bold conception and revoliutionary propulsion system a thrill to enginnering groupies like myself. Although the physics is 70 years old the futuristic styling allows one to forget this. the cabin is unusually wide for a train with six seats abrest. There is a repelling sensation and ther were’re off. I expected it to be fast but i didn’t know how fast at 300kph there was a terrific bang as the other train passed 350kph displayed on the led 390kph they are making this up! suppose we dont stop an alarming thought went through my mind,the breaks are electromagnetic what if the power fails. We stopped accellerating at 431kph Gentle g forces carring us throgh the long turns eventually we slowed to a lesurely 300kph arriving in the city in only 8 minuets a beautiful ride the best 50 yuan spent in China. Gavin Harper

  44. I travelled to Pudong and back a few days later recently. The tickets are very easy to buy (and very cheap) – the train is very easy to find and is remarkable!

    I cannot understand why there are two rail lines? It would have made more sense to build a single line for twice the distance? The train is so fast (total time for the trip is about 7~8 minutes) that it could simply run back and forth? Why waste so much money making two lines?

    Well worth taking a trip. My return journey the train was almost full but there is lots of room for luggage – excellent!

    Mike – Cairns – Australia

  45. well well well well well i heir in japan i student exchange student i come to america for tech it in i learn mag lev and it is interested i would like some1 in japanese speaking to send me all of this in japanese thank-you shonen omedetti to the japanese fellow who help me in this horrible thinking

  46. Heading to Shanghai tomorrow (from Tokyo), really want to try the Maglev. Still amazed that your web site has the most complete information, as if the maglev company does not want to advertise in it own official site. Thanks for the information!

    Don’t understand why Maglev only goes to Pudong, not over to Puxi. People don’t mind connecting to Taxi, but Puxi is not dead for the forseeable future…

  47. Maglev only has the advantage for longer distance. It takes sometime (several minutes) to speed up to 410 km/hour and longer time to slow down. It does not make sense to build Maglev as we built Metro – I mean to put more stops along the way at 2km interval. So the mission of the Maglev is to put the city of Shanghai closer to the airport, and people can transit to the city using Metro Line #2, which share the same station with Maglev at Long Yang Road.

  48. Took a 10 hour plane journey from brussels, belgium just to go on the maglev!!! What an outstanding experience!! 431kph is just mindblowing! If anyone is visiting Shanghai it is A MUST!

  49. Hey dom. I see you went to Shanghai just to ride the train!! Thats what i will do later on from virginia! when you get on the maglev can you always get a window seat? Also can you bring a camcorder on the maglev? I would love love love to have video footage from inside and out! Be neat to visit the maglev store. I would buy alot from there. I just love trains and the maglev if my fav. Hey mike you are right they should of made one track cents it goes really fast. I would never see a maglev go this fast in usa because of the strick rules. There is only one maglev in usa and it’s here in my city of norfolk at odu. but they never finish the project. Anyways my dream is the go on the fastest train for public service in Shanghai!

  50. um… do u know how much it costs for a ride from shanghai to beijing aon a maglev? If u find out can u tell me where u foud out the information from?thx

    please reply as soon as possible!

  51. Hi Anthony

    >when you get on the maglev can you always get a window seat?

    There are no reserved seats (besides there is a VIP section, that AFAIK only has nicer, spacier seats and costs a bit more). As the train is almost never full (yet), it should be not too difficult to get a window seat. (If you want to be 100% sure, get VIP seats, but I would not)

    >Also can you bring a camcorder on the maglev? I would love love love to have video footage from inside and out!

    No problem! I noted no restrictions, MANY people take lots of pictures in the Maglev or videos.

    >Be neat to visit the maglev store. I would buy alot from there.

    There is one in the Long Yang station basement near the exhibition on Maglev technology.

  52. Mr. Wang,

    Please read CNN.com today, there is an article about PVG of which Shanghai should be proud of.

    Stephen

  53. Jian Shou Wang

    Do you know anything about the maglev’s safety features in the event of, loss of power, derailment or earthquake, for instance.

    I saw an article that said some of the track foundations were sinking and this was causing safety fears. Im mostly interested in how this train would stop if power was lost.

  54. Stephen, I didn’t find out the article you mentioned. What is the URL? I searched “Shanghai” in CNN but didn’t seem to find an article like what you described.

    Gavin, I am not an expert on this, but I GUESS they should have some features to make sure it does not cause big problem during emergency. It is the first commercial line and people should be very careful to operate it.

  55. >Do you know anything about the maglev’s safety features in the event of, loss of power, derailment or earthquake, for

    > instance.

    In the event of loss of power, the maglev car can stay levitated up to an hour on own batteries, only the driving force will be absent. In the case that fails, it will sink on the rail base where it will glide and slow down. “Derailing” in the classical sense is not possible (in contrast to the japanese type, that rides on kind of “tires” till levitated due to the dynamic forces at higher speed), because the car is made that way that it “wraps” around the rails.

    However, in case of major earthquake with major damage to the guide rails anything can happen, but that will apply to any kind of system!

    See also

    http://www.transrapid.de/en/index.html

    (I think I already cited this here somewhere!)

    Joachim

  56. >suppose we dont stop an alarming thought went through my mind,the breaks are electromagnetic what if the power fails.

    >Gavin, I am not an expert on this, but I GUESS they should have some features to make sure it does not cause big problem

    >during emergency. It is the first commercial line and people should be very careful to operate it.

    Rubrik/Rubric: Technik/Technology (Power failure)

    Frage/Question: What happens when the power fails?

    Antwort/Answer:

    When the power from the mains fails during driving, the levitation and guidance system is supplied by means of onboard batteries which are charged without contact during driving. Therefore, the vehicle will use its existing “momentum” to glide to the next stopping area.

    Should the next stopping area be too far away, the vehicle stops at one of the auxiliary stopping areas provided for the purpose at regulation intervals along the guideway. The vehicle is stopped with the aid of a non-contact eddy current brake which is also supplied from the onboard batteries and brakes the vehicle to a speed of 10 km/h. The vehicle is then lowered onto skids and stops after a few meters. An emergency stop on the open track can be ruled out.

    Joachim

  57. Just had a return ride to Pudong Airport yesterday with the Mag.

    In the loudspeakers they announced : “the Maglev demonstration line”, they didn’t do before.

    I recorded video during the ride and after, around the Longyang end of the track.

    Guards outside the station (actually doing “Hitler-walk” !) didn’t bother me of my recording,

    so I guess it’s wry much ok to use the camcorder.

    If they would continue the track to Shanghai Central Railway Station, they will have to make the tracks in between two apartment blocks ! But that would not be a problem in China, I guess…

  58. Mr. Wang

    I have copied the page of CNN and directed to your hotmail, hope you’ll find it useful.

    Stephen

  59. I have recently returned from Shanghai (November 2004). When I was preparing to leave my city centre hotel I asked about the Maglev train, enquiring both at the concierge desk in the hotel and at the bus terminal near to the Hilton.

    In both instances I was told that I’d have to take a cab from the hotel to the railway terminal (I would expect to do that). Neither of the people I consulted seemed to think it worth the trouble of the two-part journey involved should I take the train.

    Then, on the road to Pudong Airport, the train came past, incredibly fast and smooth, at the speed of an aircraft, of course, making our speed of 110/120 kph seem quite slow!

    I realised that I should have taken the train – for several reasons. Incidentally, the track runs on an elevated concrete railway, alongside the motorway (freeway) at least fifty metres away from the road, not ‘in the middle’.

    The Maglev looks fantastic. I’ll certainly use it next time I visit Shanghai. Please learn from my mistake: take the train!

    Japanese and (mainland) European trains are well ahead of others, the Shinkansen system being particularly impressive, and already forty years old. If the Shanghai to Beijing route is as superior as this, the trains of the English-speaking world will be even further behind, alas.

  60. I took this train twice in august, I took a video of my second trip, because the first trip passed too fast. The view out of the window at 431 kph is more than great. I just love to watch my video again and again and its still amazing though it can’t replace the real experience of the g force.

    Guys! Take a video of it. This train deserves more than just a photo inside the train station!

    I am addicted to this train and to the speed.

  61. In Germany there is the Transrapid (German name for Maglev) Test Facility near Bremen where you can also ride the train, The facility has 2 turning Loops =) and a straight of 12km for a speed of 400 kph. I will must go there soon =) I must try this experience :P and take the next video ;-)

    If you are interested:

    http://www.transrapid.de/en/index.html

    Click on Information / TVE to get the Information about the opening hours.

  62. I would like to visit germany to ride the Maglev and also ride Shanghai train for sure!! To bad they don’t have info for the tour in germany just yet. For me to fly from virginia to Shanghai will take about 15 hours non-stop and i will be more then happy to do it!! Hey Didi you are so lucky to have video from inside the maglev!!! I would love to see that video!!! Could you possibly show me a video clip or can i buy a copy from you? lol. I bet it will feel neat to stand up at 431/kph!! without falling over. Is there a bathroom on this train? Oh yea about video recording. If you get first class seats can you record where the train conductor is? I would love to see the controls and outside the front window. About weather can the train run in rainy conditions? As anyone can tell i am maglev crazy and want to know all about it!!!! =)

  63. Does that Maglev really hit 430km/hr as its digital speedo says? I had just spent a week using Bullet trains in Japan (250-260km/hr I think) and I can’t say the Maglev seemed any quicker once it hit max speed. Even video of scenery whizzing by shot on both types of train seems to confirm this. Or does all high speed look the same after a certain speed?

  64. Answer to GB : try to go in a fast car on a german highway. Drive for an hour at 240km/h, and then you want to go for a “pit stop” for a snack and a pee.

    When you go in the turn-off lane, it says 50km/h.

    You go 5o now, but you will fell it like just 10 !

    The Mag is built on an elevated track, so the speed feeling isn’t so severe, as if you’re in ground level. Maybe that’s why you don’t feel any difference.

    You’re travelling at 900 km/h in a jet airplane, but no speed feeling, huh ?

  65. Just a comment about “the pylons sinking”:

    Essentially, Shanghai is situated on an old flood plain – although I believe floods are very rare nowadays. Geologically speaking, you have a helluvalotta compacted silt sitting on some very deep bedrock which is a really long way down. So how do they build such tall buildings there (Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower etc)? I spoke to a local architect. Apparently they sink a steel cylinder, excavate what’s inside it, thump it down, sink another one, excavate, thump…repeatedly, until their sensors indicate that it’s stable enough. Which can take A LOT of cylinders. (Supposedly what you can see of the Jinmao Tower is only half of its real height.) Finally, they pour concrete down the tube and let it set. Hey presto, some REALLY deep foundations.

    If they are going to sink a billion billion billion renminbi into a project like the Maglev, I’d be very surprised if they haven’t put a cylinder or two “extra” under those pylons. To me, this “sinking” rumour sounds like an urban myth. Evidence, please.

  66. maglev trenler hakkında bilgi arıyorum(nasıl calışır, enerjisi nasıl verilir, mıknatısların özellikleri nelerdir, sürat nasıl ayarlanır..) ilgilenirseniz memnun olurum..

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    http://www.ozmenmermer.com

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    organize sanayii 1.blok no:2

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  67. Dear Mr Wang, I would like to use some of the pictures of your Maglev for my teaching article. I hope this is OK with you. Oh I am a university lecturer teaching the students the fantastic world of superconductors. Your website has been very useful. Cheers!

    Thanks.

  68. hi! im in 8th grade and i found your site quite useful for my science fair project. do you mind if i use some of your text from this site!

    thank you for such an awesome site!

  69. Well, the reasson for not travel at nigth cant be safety, there is not diference if you see something in the way at day, you wont stop at 430 km/h.

    I was thinking that a tube to make vacum will also prevent objects to put in train way.

    hey, the site is exelent, i spent some time sitting heare, good job all of you.

    Saludos de Uruguay

  70. ……many thanks for this very informative article. Recently, prior to my first trip to the P.R.C, I endevoured to find information on the MAGLEV elsewhere…pretty scarce. A friend and I took the MagLev return ride from the city to the airport via the metro, on a cold, damp Saturday afternoon. Quite a thrill, although, I think the experience of aircraft speed at ground level would have been enhanced by a clearer, sunny day. I’ll be back to try again…..and thanks too, to all the friendly, helpful locals, that helped make my trip a very happy one. Regards, Denis Beahan, Aircraft Engineer, Australia.

  71. I am doing a report on the safety of maglev trains. Wher could I find good sources to reference and what are the major issues related to the safety of maglev trains. How would they be able to operate in the harsh winters of Canada.

  72. Jimi Hendrix rocks! Maglev trains are gay so maybe you should spend your time writing about Jimi Hendrix or something not gay like trains.

  73. Wow noone even gets on this website. thats probably beacause its gay and no one likes trains. good luck with your report hofido. peace

    JIMI HENDRIX IS AWESOME

  74. Jimmy, you wasted motherfucker. No one wants to read you, let only three times. There are other places to talk about bad music other than here. Anyway, great pics. I gotta project on maglev trains so this really helps. And, to all the people before me, maglev is probably more safe than any trains we got now. Nothing is 100% safe, so deal.

  75. It seems that Jimmy Page is one very lonely boy who obviously has no friends and will spew his bitterness anywhere he can find. If there is anything gay about his messages, it’s him. Also, he’s probably a doper and thats why he’s in love with Hendrix. Jimmy, get a life and leave sites like this alone so we adults can learn something.

    Mr. Wang, this is a great site and now I’m sure I’ll be riding the Maglev when I travel there later this year. Thank you for some wonderful information.

  76. Bob Dole likes trains. Bob Dole thinks Jimmie Hendrixs sucks. Bob Dole likes to talk about Bob Dole.___BOB DOLE!

  77. You need to resize the pictures. They load too slow. The file size is too big. Took a very long time for the page to load and I am using cable modem connection. Dial-up connection would take forever. Otherwise, nice site.

  78. Found your site to interesting. I am a fourth grade teacher in Md. I am teaching a Science unit on electromagnets and am teaching about the Maglev as a real world application. Does anyone have a video I could show my students about what it would be like to ride the maglev?

  79. It´s impressive the maglev, but don’t forget that it is only a thirty quiulometers line. The TGV has 2.000 km of passanger transportation lines since 1979 whithout accidents, operating in speeds about 300/330 km per hour, whit a record of 512 km/h. It is not a experimental operation !

  80. how much weight can they take?

    How much weight a scaled down version take?

  81. You arsholes are so fucking stupid. Maglev is so 1000% safe coz I read up on maglevs and a crash is impossibe! You want proof? The magnetic fields are run in sync with each other. Let’s see you proove that they are UNSAFE!!!!! Besides, if this website is gay, why were you on it in the first place, YOU STUPID FUCKS!!!!!!!!!!

  82. The article on the Magnetrain is a good one and i just wanted to quote it to stir up some intrest in the technology:

    “Neodymuium-Iron-Boron magnets have a lift ratio of 270 to 1 with a one-inch air gap. That means that 740 pounds of such magnets will lift a train car weighting 100 tons, making it perfectly feasible to carry freight cross-country at high speed, on a Magnetrain system.”

    This is exciting!

  83. All,

    Just arrived back from Shanghai and tried the maglev there, it was an amazing experience. I went to the shop at the exhibition center and saw some some of models for around 300Y, and promised to go back and get one. Alas, I ran out of time and didn’t, does anyone know if I can pick one up on the net somewhere?

    Thanks,

    A.

  84. Dear Mr Wang,

    We just came back from Shanghai Airport via our trip to Hwang shan. We saw the Magdev train at the airport and did not have the time to stop or take a photo hence we will be downloading one from your website. Thanks a lot.

    Keep it up.

    from,

    kit

  85. it’s been very informative, and it realy helped me a lot in preparing my seminar report on maglev trains. i think a vedio on these trains would have added more colours to this article.

  86. I am currently investigating the concept of magnetic fields as it relates to MOVEMENT in any direction for a conceptual engine prototype. Information seems to be limited and does not relate directly to my specific needs. The engine concept I am currently conceptualizing is based on balls bearings in its casing. The difference being that a ball bearing per sé, are made up of an enclosed steelbelt containing the bearings on either side. if a magnetic filed is introduced inbetween the two steel fields, will movement occur?

  87. Hello to everyone. I visited China with my girlfriend from December 01, 2004 to December 10, 2004. I had never heard of the Maglev prior to this trip. I happened to overhear one of the members on my tour group (friendly planet) talking about the Maglev and how neat it would be to ride it. I asked around and got very easy directions from my hotel (Downtown Holiday Inn, Shanghai). It probably took us less than 30 minutes or so to get there (once we figured out how to purchase subway tickets and in which direction). We got to the train station and purchased 2 VIP roundtrip tickets. I believe they cost twice as much as the regular tickets. Was probably about $20US. When we went upstairs, the first thing we noticed was that the train station was extremely clean. It seemed that only women worked there. Not from the cleanliness, but from all the women workers we saw. The train is gorgeous and it looked brand new. The VIP section was empty, only my girfriend and I and about 4 other passengers were on it. The yellow seats looked really comfy and legroom was abundant. There is a little table in the middle that looks like an ironing board. I don’t know why, but it does. The isle is real wide also. The pilot was a girl, as were all the crewmembers. All of them were female. I took pictures and digital video of the control room. We settled into our seats and I started recording. I recorded the entire trip back and forth. Got good closeups of the speedo accelerating all the way to 431 kph. The interesting thing that I felt was the train banked on turns. Like planes do. We were going fast! When we passed oncomming trains, if you blinked you missed them. They were only a blur. I have that on video as well. It was a great experience and I bragged about it to some of the other members of our tour once we got back. I could tell they were green with envy.

    Anyway, on our return, we got out at a different train station and got to visit the Shanghai Museum of Science and Technology. Another wonder! Still on our way back we stopped at Nanjing road and had a great time there as well. Loved Jin Mao Tower (Shanghai Grand Hyatt) and dinner On The 56 and drinks in Cloud 9. Highly recomend the trip to anyone. Great Train!

  88. By the way, I also wanted to mention that since I don’t frequent this site, if anyone wants to contact me about this train ride for pics or possible video, they can contact me at caribmon71@hotmail.com. My girlfriend and I live in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. I’m a student at the Politechnic University of Puerto Rico. Just wanted to throw that in there, in case there’s any ex-alumni reading. The island’s first subway just began operating this year, but it is a far cry from the Maglev in Shanghai.

  89. Who the fuck are all these dumbasses on this blog who don’t know a shit about what they talk.These bunch of jerking nincompoops.u guys suck man.each single fucking of you.why do you hav to fight on this.you dont fucking like it dont fucking post anything. u bloody nerds.

  90. MY COMMEMT IS INSTEAD OF USING MAGNETIC FIELD SYSTEM AS TRACK(WHICH IS STATIONARY),WHY CANT WE USE THE FIELD SYSTEM AS MOVING ONE WHERE THE COIL IS ATTACHED TO THE UNDERNEATH OF THE COMPARTMENT AND HAVE THE SUPPLY LINES FOLLOWING THE TRACK,AS WHICH WE CAN REDUCE THE COST AND WE CAN REDUCE THE WEIGHT OF TRAIN AS WE DONT NEED BATTERIES TO SUPPLY POWER INSIDE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE AC’S, LIGHTS,ETC AND GET THE SPEED

    AND MY REQUEST IS CAN I GET THE PROTOTYPE MODEL OF MAGLEV TRAIN

    ANY USEFUL SITES ,BOOKS I AM DOING MY TECHNICAL STUDIES FINAL YEAR AND WANT TO DO PROJECT ON THIS TRAIN AND CONSTRUCT A PROTOTYPE MODEL

    THANKING YOU

    YOUR’S FAITHFULLY

    B VISHWANATH

    INNOVATION_25@YAHOO.COM

  91. i took the maglev for the first time today and, boy, it’s the most amazing ride i’ve been on…the bullet train has nothing on this baby…if you’re into spped and trains..just go!!!!

  92. Today I rode the Maglev during Typhoon “MATSA”. I was surprised to see the maglev was operating, despite the high winds and rain! When the other train passes you, if you are on the left side, it is very surprising! What fun.

  93. I am working on a documentary about passenger trains in the 21st Century. Do you know where I might be able to obtain a few minutes of video and/or film of the Shanghai Meglev train in high speed operations to use in the documentary? Is there a license fee for the use? I would only need 60 to 90 seconds of the train in high speed operation. Any help would be greatly appreciated and proper recognition for that help would been acknowledged in the closing titles of the documentary.

    Thank you,

    Mark Thompson

    Challenger Multimedia & Entertainment Group, Inc

    http://www.ChallengerStudios.com

  94. I am traveling to Shanghai on September 23rd and would like to ride the Maglev from the ariport to my hotel (Salvo hotel). Would this be a possibility? Do they allow luggage onboard?

  95. WHY DO NOT TAKE MAGLEV…

    Maglev can be nice for 8 minutes trip at 431 km/h, but other than that it is useless. Maglev IS NOT an aiport train, he does not connect airport to downtown. It connects Pudong airport to a remote metro terminal, where you are still 20-25 ride from downtown.

    If u take a taxi directly from airport to Lujiazui (financial centre), or People Square (city downtown) you will pay not more than RMB 120 (USD15), and will reduce the time by half at least.

    Herewith 6 reasons why do not take Maglev

    1) not easily connected to airport: need to walk for 10-15minutes.

    2) no easily connected to metro station

    3) frequency is 20min per each ride

    4) it does not link to downtown, but to a remote metro station. Do not expect to get off from Maglev and board the metro… U need to go down and walk 5 minutes, then take the metro. Of course you will carry your lugguage with no trolley/cart!!

    5) by taxi it takes just around 25-30 minutes to get to Lujiazui, 35-40 minutes to People Square. In both destinations you will pay less than RMB 120-130.

    6) No foreigners or Chinese living in SHANGHAI takes maglev. It is just another example of USD 1.5 billion of taxpayer money wasted…

    Basically is just a city’s attraction.

    That’s all!

  96. Hi, if I want to take Maglev at 8.30am, do I have to pay in advance(booking) for the ticket or can just purchase from the counter easily? Is the price still the same for single ride RMB $50?

    I be coming to shanghai on 18 Oct 2005.

  97. Wangjianshuo very good info and also loved the pics… you seem like a big fan of this very nice but hugely expensive transportation elephant. i refer to it as an elephant since it doesn’t really integrate well with the main shanghai transportation system. pity.

    at a true cost 200million per km of track this was a real waste and missed opportunity to put a state of the art transportation system that complimented and integrated into the existing systems in a more user friendly way within Shanghai.

    谢谢

    Dennis

  98. Hello,

    I belong to a steam railway centre in the UK and we are putting together a small exhibition at the moment which will include pictures of rail developments of the future.

    We would very much like to use one of your web photos of the Maglev…..would you give us permission to include it in the graphics of the exhibition.

    Gordon

  99. Just took the Maglev on oct 27th.

    Fantastic trip.

    Smooth until 300km/h but bumpy at 431km/h.

    Must be the same problem that planes encounter: air density variation.

    No rush to get ticket and seats for everyone.

    Big difference from normal China…

    A must…

  100. May I have hard copy of some of litrature on Maglev from you. I need for study.

    Add: S Mandle,

    Scintific Officer,

    Centre for Advanced Technology,

    Indore, MP, INDIA.

    Pin: 452 013.

  101. The Maglev operating times were extended on December 1, 2005. Now the train will run from 7am until 9pm every day. However, to conserve energy and reduce costs, it will only reach speeds of 300 kph during the extended periods (ie. 7.00-8.30am and 5.30-9.00pm).

  102. Is there a possible way to make a mini-scale maglev? I want to try and do one as a science project.

  103. i am back you guys guys, i learn da english in a the italalino accentai guu. I never learned anything bout dumb Maglev cause ya’ll dumb as hell…. yea i be black too, gangsta zats.

  104. Well well well well well its me Japanese Ken again I’m back over 6 months later, I learned punctuation but I will not give me opening of well well well ect. Well ya’ll American rednecks changed my name to Ken cause Kenshin was too cool for them I guess. My last name is now Haemoid yea it’s very odd. All I need to fix is my accent but it hard to do when your 25. I never got the Japanese translation but I did get Cantonese, Chinese, and Korean, who does that? Well I have finally made the mag lev after failing collage… you all are very unhelpful goodbye dogestries. I BE GANSTA ZATS

    , that other guy is an imposter! i no leanr the english that vell!

  105. Dear Sir:

    I would like to request your permission to use one of your photographs in the new edition of an engineering textbook (A. Bedford and W. T. Fowler, Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics, Prentice Hall) with whatever form of citation you feel is appropriate.

    Sincerely,

    A. Bedford

  106. Dear Sir, refer to James’ post of Dec. 27, 2005 re slower speed to save cost. I took the 7:20 AM Maglev from Longyang Road subway station to Pudong Airport on March 30, 2006. The Maglev reached its highest speed at 431 km/h. The one-way fare is RMB40 instead of normal fare of RMB50 if the passenger shows his/her air ticket on the day.

  107. I’d like to use some of your pictures for a class project I am currently involving in.

    Please consider my request.

    I did get a chance to take the MagLev when I was in Shanghai two weeks ago. I did enjoy the ride, even though it was not as stable as I expected. But the eight-minute ride was really exciting.

    Thank you!

  108. I was wondering if anyone has seen a video of a guy who built a model Maglev and demonstrated it hurtling around the track at great speed, both on top of the track and also hanging beside it with just a gentle shove?

    I would love to get a copy of this video for a Maglev presentation I am doing for the kids at school here in New Hampshire. If anyone has seen it or has something similar, would you please let me know?

    Thanks all,

    Pete

  109. I do believe that the reduced speed of the Maglev after 5:30 could be a “cost issue”, and certainly not a “saftey issue”, but it could very well be a “noise issue” as well.

    I do quite a bit of biking in Pudong and one af my many destinations are various point along the Maglev route. I can tell you this, the Maglev is VERY LOUD (not F-1 loud, but still… VERY LOUD) when you are watching it race by as you are standing under or next to it. Heck, it is even loud where some farmers live near the tracks. I have checked this out.

    I guess it would be kind of hard if you are a farmer in Pudong and trying to get some sleep until the Maglev’s last run at 9:00. Most farmers go to bed early.

    After 5:30 the Maglev is a bit less loud, somewhat like Chicago’s El (think Blues Brothers movie).

    Also of interesting note, when the Maglev is approaching you can hear the electrical coils ramp up to propel the Maglev with a very distinct zzzzzzzzzzzing sound.

    Very cool indeed! CJ

  110. Why does the Maglev line end out at the Long Yang Lu subway station? I agree with many of you that the Maglev line should have gone down dowtown until you realize how loud the Maglev truley is (see my previous post).

    You also have to remeber that this was first and foremost an experimental line.

    So what do you do? Why not have it end one block away from the New Shanghai Expo Centre in Pudong. That is exactly what they did. That does make sense if you are an exhibitor or visitor to the many shows they host at the Expo Centre, that is, if you know that the Maglev exists.

    Of course, with recent news that the line will be extended to Hangzhou is good news and this will become the first stop on the way to Hangzhou.

    But trust me… you don’t want this thing zooming by your home in downtown Shanghai.

    CJ

  111. On another note about the Maglev… I have seen this myself on my many biking rides along the Maglev line.

    There are about 100 yds/100 mtrs (think American football field) on either side of the Maglev track that are beautifully landscaped with a dedicated service road (which are fenced in to keep folks like me from riding on it).

    I have yet to see a house that was within this 100 yds/100 mtrs right of way zone. But… there are many, many, many homes, farms and one church that are just on the edge of the Maglev right of way zone.

    There is just no way to run the line into the city directly unless they could put it underground. I just don’t think that the cost for doing so is possible.

    CJ

  112. JSW… Do you want to see the Maglev ROAR!!!! i would be more than happy to take a bike ride with you if you want to check it out. It seems that you live in Pudong and so do I.

    CJ

  113. Mr. Wang,

    I am writing a textbook for school on magnetic levitation propulsion system. Hope you can grant me permission to use one of your nice pictures as an illustration for the students. If there is any special condition, kindly let me know.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    Lee Tak Sing

  114. Thank You Mr Wang,

    I went to Shanghai during March, but the tourist guide did not take us there. Instead we visited one of your Medicine Factory on the last day of going to back to Pudung Airport.

    The picture is important to the students in Malaysia, because The Maglev is the only kind in the world. Europe and Japan had stopped operating the Maglev Train.

    Thank you again for your kind permission.

    Lee Tak Sing

  115. Hello Jian.

    Thank you for a tidy, well-organised description of the new maglev. I just took a look for some more information, after seeing a TV article. Too many sites try to look like TV advertisements!

    The only maglev I have experienced was the Birmingham one to the airport in 1989, which opened in 1984 and is now closed: but that was like being in an old lift car … The high-speed trains (Channel Tunnel, and TGV) that I have used were quiet inside, but appallingly loud if you were near the tracks outside! I can’t help but think that the energy for that noise must come from somewhere. I look forward to more (and bigger?) pictures. I would not pay any attention to the people who carp about the capital expenditure: this is really an operational development, the first past the prototype stage. We call that a “beta test” in the computer industry. I would expect that any extension of the line will be much closer to normal construction costs: also, a longer line would be much cheaper as most of the costs are in terminal facilities and infrastructure for a short run. I think in a high density population area, this would be ideal to replace commuter airlines: centre-to-centre, more frequent, quieter and faster for runs under 200 km. I suspect that a return shuttle would be the best configuration up to 100 km, then dual track for long runs.

    Bye for now, Paul.

    P.S.: Do you have a mail list that you post to when there is a substantial revision of the site?

  116. how far from the station do the maglev have to start slowing down. i heard its something like 200 miles from the station it would already start slowing down because its going so fast.

  117. Christian, I don’t know exactly when it slows down, but my experience is, maglev uses a little bit more than 1/3 of the time to increase the speed, a little bit less than 1/3 of the time (the total 8 minutes) to run at top speed (430 km/hour), and less than 1/3 time slow down.

  118. Ciao Mr. Wang…great blog!!!I am writing an article about MAglev..I found the blog really interesting…I confirm that also our Eurostar in Italy is great between Bologna and Roma…sometimes the problem is the delay… I will look in your blog the prices of traveling on Maglev…it seems a great experience..I am moving to Shanghai in October/November..I am looking forward…Simone

    Ps:what I got not to forget writing on Maglev????

  119. i am a sri lankan, 27 M, i have been selected for shanghai university and still thinking. please be kind enough to contact me and i want to know many things about shanghai and university life.

    thanks

  120. I notice a few people have been asking for information about where to purchase model Maglevs.

    The plastic model company, Revell, makes a 1/87 scale model (HO scale for model railroaders!). I think it is still current, but I have not got access to their latest German catalogue.

    It is a very simple model which can be placed on its special track for display. No gluing is necessary.

    Unfortunately, where the windows should be, it has black painted stripes, instead of a tinted glass effect!

    I was very disappointed with this, as I had purchased two of them to convert to working models for a modern era train layout I am building.

    I consider the failure to have transparent windows on the actual model – which are clearly and misleadingly shown on the front of the box – to be dishonest advertising.

  121. Now it is clear why China invested in the Maglev train in Shanghai. The latest news in Malaysia is that the city of Johore Bahru(next to Singapore) has signed up with Beijing Enterprise Holding to install a 12km maglev train system initially at a cost of approximately USD30 million for each km. The technology(permanent magnet levitation) developed by China’s National Defence University is different from that used on the Shanghai line. Asked why this system was choosen, the promoter replied that price is a major issue, and they are confidnet that with several years of running such a system in China the manufacturer will be able to solve any technical problem that may arise.

    So, it seems that Maglev train system is here to stay.

  122. I have always questioned the necessity of building Maglev compared to other high speed rail technologies in Shanghai. Based on research, Maglev train is suitable for short distance, not only because it is expensive to operate, but also due to uncertainty on its health impact to the passengers, driver/operator as well as surrounding residents. German and Japanese have spent years researching on the technologies since the 70s and both have only implemented in very small scale in remote cities.

    I personally think that Maglev to Hangzhou, and any other extension is a bad idea. It does not have any significant advantage over high speed rail while there are still a lot of unknown implications. If Chinese government is serious in buliding sustainable cities with careful considerations to its citizens’ health around magnetic emissions, it should look into other options. The idea of building “the world’s first” may not be that intriguing afterall.

  123. I just returned from China, having spent the summer teaching English in Hangzhou, Long You and Xiang Shan. This was the most memorable time of my life. I have dreamed of going to China since I started my martial arts training back in 1968. Well, I finally got there and learned an authentic Qigong sytem from ZheJiang province. An elderly gentleman taught me in the Zhezjiang University campus over my stay on the mainland. Teaching young brilliant Chinese minds was also an inspiring moment.

    The icing on the cake was “mag-Lev”, which I used for four days while I partied in Shanghai. I stayed at the JinJiang Inn at the airport, only because I couldn’t get a room at Ramada. it was booked solid. anyway, each day I took the maglev into town. I got there in 6 minutes. What a ride!!! It is well worht the fare, because a cab would be about 50RMB or more. Hell, I got taken in the first day by a cab driver who charged me 80 RMB just to go to my hotel from the airport. About a 5 minute drive. Beware of cabbies!!! Make sure they activate the meter, or you’re in for a rip-off. Sorry, Welcome to Shangahi!! Anyway, I had a fabulous time in China, and between mag lev and the great subway system at LongYang Lu, travel around Shanghai is sooooo easy. Hail Mag-Lev or “Ci xuan fu lie che”…as it is affectionately called in Shanghai. When in Shanghai, visit the Literature Club down on 677 Julu Lu. Fanny speakes English if your Chinese is not operating. Or go down to goodfell’s at 905 Julu Lu. the folks there speak English as well. Theses clubs are in the Jing An district. It’s stop on the #2 subway from LongYang Lu, the only stop of mag lev after it leaves the airport.

    Have fun. I did.

    This is a great site. thanks for the post.

  124. hy, I’m erick of mexico i like this proyect ,in mexico we look distant because we are study this proyect by implement in mexico whit technology more cheap.by

  125. We just got home from China after a short vacation and were very happy to be able to arrange to travel to the airport for our first leg to Siingapore via the maglev.

    The 20 or so seconds at top cruising speed of 431 kms per hour were truly an amazing ride. It’s only a shame the City end terminal is still a fairly long taxi ride from downtown however this is a minor detail and all those in Shanghai ought to be very proud both of the City itself and the maglev. Nice visit.

    Steve from Australia

  126. Threre was an accident today, in Germany, with a maglev. I was scanning the web for more info on it, and came accross this site too. A very good website! Hope your maglev never fails…

  127. Yes – from the news available, the accident appears to have resulted from a collision between the train and a maintenance vehicle that, clearly, should not have been on the track. It is a real tragedy. I hope the best for those people involved.

    Many maglev sites say “How can we have an accident? Our systems are intrinsically safe”.

    No matter how many separate, safe systems you design, unless you design the entire project – track, vehicles, access, trackside facilities, operating environment etc etc – as one interconnected system, you can only hope to achieve the safety levels you are aiming for. It is an unfortunate demonstration that risk management is a holistic process.

  128. My thoughts and prayers are with those that have lost their lives and those left behind.

    It is unthinkable how an accident like this could have happened; any unit left on the track should have been equipped with some sort of train protection equipment.

    On normal railways the signals are controlled by a series of track circuits connected to the rails the passage of a train operates a track circuit and changes the aspect of the associated signal, so if a unit is left on the line ahead of if you should have a broken rail the signal will advise the driver of the state of the road ahead.

    I found the following….

    The principle of the propulsion system in the guideway makes collisions between trains virtually impossible. If two or more trains were ever simultaneously in the same quideway segment, they would be forced by the motor in the guideway to travel at exactly the same speed in the same direction. They could not meet either in a head-on or rear-end collision.

    Even a collision with another transportation mode is, for all practical purposes, excluded because the Maglev guideway is built without intersections. The majority of the guideway will be in an aerial configuration (elevated) or in a tunnel section and any at-grade sections will constructed where there are no roadway crossing requirements.

    One can only assume that the other unit on the track was not maglev compatible ……

  129. I am very excited to ride the maglev because I have studied the technology for at least a decade and am fascinated by the concept – so fast, so clean, so safe,..so perfect (almost) – unfortunately with that accident in germany a few days ago it seems that alas the problem was human error – how a maintenance vehicle could be left unchecked on the track is simply appalling especially when you consider that many people have specfic jobs to ensure that this does not happen – my father was a railroader for forty years in Canada on CN Rail and accidents do happen despite the best checks but it is very tragic that this particular accident happened – I only hope that big business and governments do not use an accident like this as an excuse not to develop this wonderful technology further – I am riding the maglev in three days and have absolutely no anxiety about riding the Shanghai maglev.

    Also very cool site Mr Wang – great to see free information and a free forum for people to discuss and find answers – I live in Shanghai and this site is very helpful.

    Thanks.

  130. I have designed a miniature model of a permanent magnet maglev train along with an electromagnetic drive that I hope to exhibit in this up coming engineering week of 2007, here in Toronto Canada. I am now in the process of building a fully workable model. I hope to encourage young students to decide on a career in engineering or in the sciences. I am looking for a contact in China that manufactures magnets and one that will sell directly to me and at quantities of a few hundred or so at a time. Anyway, here is a great site for you maglev fans, check it out… lots of video clips and more….Enjoy the ride….Please forward any contacts to (epowerplus@hotmail.com ) with the subject title “maglev”. Thanks for the help.. Lorrie(http://www.calmaglev.org/default.php?getpage=pv&getsubpage=tripromo#tri_promo_wayoflife)

  131. Hi there!

    Last month I took Maglev train from Pudong to Longyang Road for the first time! Max speed 431 km/h. I believe it is not too expensive (SGD8.00) for 8 minute trip.

    I look forward to seeing Maglev run between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

    Cheers,

    Indi

    in Singapore

  132. I am looking for an investor in the building a miniature permanent magnet maglev (toy system ) with electromagnetic drive in which I have designed. It will be exhibited in the upcoming engineering week here in Toronto / Canada in 2007 (if completed by that time). The benefits to the investor will be a direct trade off, money for the rights to copy proto-type, along with drawings and the rights to manufacture and market it as their own. My interest in building this proto-type is to encourage young students to pick a career in engineering and the sciences. Investors interested, please contact; Mr. Lorrie Matchett ( epowerplus@hotmail.com ) Please insert as the subject title “maglev proto-type 2007” prior sending email. Sincerely; Mr. Lorrie Matchett

  133. Tried maglev on sat (14/10/2006) Long Yang To PVG, I was a lovely ride reaching 431kmh. My children loved it especially there were only 4 of us in the VIP cart. look forward to riding again in the near future.

  134. Hey….thanks for your nice picture.I really impressed when i saw lots of Trans rapid pictures…Well,do u suggest me how is the system of trans rappid move…

  135. hey fellow chingas

    how sweet is that maglev man… do they come in kits i would like one for my house… go the soccerroos i will one day play for them cause i have big calves and im asian…. thank you and god bless love micheal

    p.s. why is there the picture of the tree??

  136. I will cricket punch u all and stoner steve…. any chicks on here who want roots ?? call me 0421558024 Townsville Australia

  137. Well well well well well It me Japanese Kenshin again I hate all you peoples gays you kill peoples you no given me mag lev in Japanese I kill for funzerdi he/she I heir from Japans to America to kill thy you give me no shit I say!! I goats THIINKING THIS THINKING who thinking in this Gaia of thinking I can speak good English I am thinking soma give me this thinking of mag lev I shall give you 3 doll areas!!! Think you for this thanking you Americas – posted 2 years ago by me, I’ve been with this site for so long.

  138. Took ride of Maglev on 8 jan 2007,amazingly very fast 431 km per hour.Took 7 min and 20 secs to reach pudong airport.From airport to Maglev is difficult to reach.Think of it.Built another Maglev to reach station.When you visit Shanghai and you have not seen Maglev you have not seen Shanghai at all.

  139. I am resident of Bhopal, the capital of MadhyaPradesh state of India. There lies a city named Indore, at a distance of 175km( aerial ) from Bhopal. Indore is a big commercial city. There is a good traffic between the two cities. It is about 12000 to 15000 passengers daily. Bhopal being capital of state of MP and Indore being biggest commercial city of the state, the importance can be understood.

    Can Maglev train be a viable transport system for such traffic? Everyone knows that, labour in India, is not costly. How can it be made available to the people of this country? Will BOT ie ‘build, operate and transfer’ policy can be applied here?

  140. I went to Shanghai on 19th January and was anticipating to try out the Maglev. But to my dissapointment, the Maglev only travelled at a maximum speed of 300 km/h. I felt like been cheated. I wonder why they reduce the speed. Is that due to operation fee? However, I did enjoy the time spent on the Maglev. It was so smooth and quiet. And just for your information, the management has actually extended the operation time of the Maglev. The last train is at 9 pm if I’m not mistaken. Definitely not 5.30 pm. Good news huh?

  141. I’m planning a trip to China this summer and need to travel from Shanghai to Beijing. Is this train operational yet? What is the price/accomodation difference between the maglev and the regular trains? I was planning an overnight trip, so a soft sleeper is on my list at this point.

    I know the trip is about 12 hours since my last trip between Nanjing and Beijing was about that long. I saw some posts put the maglev trip anywhere from 5 to 10 hours.

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  143. hai,

    the pictures u presented r good they helped me a lot for my project

    see u

    madhu tullimalli

  144. Hi there, I’m going to be at Pudong airport for 6 hours, starting 7.45 am on 6th April, before flying on to Copenhagen. I would love to take the MagLev into Shanghai to see a bit of China to fill in the time. Would anyone be able to give me specific instructions on (a) how to purchase a ticket, (b) how to get from Pudong to the MagLev line, and (c) how to get around Shanghai best once I’m in there i.e. is there a good tour I could take. Cheers from New Zealand, Chris.

  145. Dear Mr. Jian Shuo Wang,

    I am absolutely shocked about your MAGLEV web page !!! CONGRATULATIONS INDEED !!! I´m travelling to Shanghai next August and in fact will catch this amazing train from the Pudong International Airport to Long Yang Lu Station near the city center.

    Are you recommending any more attractions about Shanghai or the Maglev? My flight will take land about 8:00 am.

    Thanks a lot for your information.

    Lluis Arcala

    Barcelona

  146. Maglev definitely worth the time to try. Personally, I love the East Sea Bridge – a bridge running in the sea for more than 30 km – another amazing place in Shanghai. Search for East Sea Bridge in this blog and you will see more entries.

  147. I had opportunity to have (to and fro) joy ride by paying 160 Yuan for the two way journey on March 12, 2007. I had three hours to wait for my flight to Delhi and opted for Maglev joy ride. It was one of the wonderful experience. What you have written in your article is word to word that I experienced. Very well explained.

  148. Hi Jian Shuo,

    Nice info. Curiously I lived in Shanghai for a year 2002 – 2003 but never got the option to ride on the thing. We visit from time to time (my Wife’s from Dalian and we have family in various parts) so one day, we will take the maglev.

    Anyway, point of this: there was talk about building a magelv between Beijing and Shanghai – any news on that ?

  149. Hi Jian Shuo,

    I got back a week ago from visiting my son who teaches in Shanghai, we used Pudong airport four times while we were there and rode the Maglev three times, twice at 300K and once at 431K. Its certainly impressive and much less frightening than travelling by road from the airport during rush hour, which is what we did when we first arrived.

  150. I was in Shanghai in march 2007 but I could’nt use Maglev to go to Pudong because my fly was in the evening. Do you know why the Maglev doesn’t work before 8h30 AM and after 5h30 PM? It isn’t very useful!

  151. hi!

    my husband and i will be arriving in shanghai this saturday. i wanted to surprise him – instead of taking the usual cab to the radisson hotel (by people’s park), i wanted for us to take the maglev train instead. it’s our first time to be in shanghai, and we don’t speak chinese either. is it a good idea to take the maglev train already? it should be an exciting ride and experience, right?

    hope for a response.

    kudos to you and your blog!

    perta

  152. hi,

    all the german newspapers are going crazy, because of that one picture, that shows a maglev at Tongji university, that looks almost 100% like the one delivered to China by the germans and shown in the photographs above.

    I wonder if the chinese one will also go 500 km/h

    Sam

  153. I was in Shanghai on a business trip from May5 ,2007 and travelled to most of the places in Shanghai, Ningbo, Nanchang and Qingdao. while returning, I decided to travel by Maglev and it was one of the wonderful experience to sit in the one of the worlds fast trains travelling at around 490 kms per hr. I still cherish the moment sitting in the train as one of most memorable one apart from seeing the pearl tower and Yuan garden.

    Madhusudan Dabhole, India.

  154. How much would the ticket cost be for a one way ticket from Long Yang Lu Station to the Pudong Airport?

  155. How do I contact the manufacturer of the Maglev?

    I am president of Sidney Thermal Technologies Inc., contact me at “awtfell@yahoo.ca.”

    I believe that I have material that may be of significant interest to both passengers and train manufactureres

    thanks for whatever you can do.

    Martin

  156. Recently I had a chance to spend four days in Shanghai. It was a wonderful experience and I was not at all surprised to see that Shanghai is really a city which is developing itself prosperously and positively.

  157. I don’t think you should be using a blog as your reference for school project… how old are you????

  158. My monther came to Shanghai to see me a week ago, I took her to ride Meglev Train, it is an intresting experience expercially at the moment when two trians met.

  159. I rode the mag-leve last week as part of a China tour but didn’t have time to purchase a model of the train. Can I do that from a web site?

  160. I rode the Maglev in early April and it was an exhilarating experience! You could almost feel the “G-Force” as the train got up to speed very quickly. I had no idea that we would be passing the train coming from the other direction and it took me by surprise. Fortunately, I didn’t blink at that fraction of a second and saw the other train. I loved going around the curve. For me, it was a once in a lifetime experience that lasted only 7 minutes but it was worth the $15 I shelled out for this ride. For someone from Enterprise, Utah it was a real thrill.

  161. Can I carry a samsonite suitcase on the train with me?

    Its not small, rather large actually.

    We will be heading from the airport to Grand Hyatt _ Jin Mao.

  162. How difficult is it to transfer to the metra line with luggage from the terminus at Long Yang Lu?

  163. Has enyone thought about how much real estate there is on these levitated road ways to carpet them in solar voltaic cells?

  164. last month I bought a transfer including maglev train ticket from Pudong to Howard Johnson hotel to experience the train. The train is magic and nice, the first maglev train in the world! I bought these services from http://www.shanghai-airport-transfer.com, which provide a car and the train tickets and a guide to me. Nice and no hassle!

  165. Earning money has online never been this easy and transparent. You would find great tips on how to make that dream amount every month. So go ahead and click here for more details and open floodgates to your online income. All the best.

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  166. I just rode the train to the airport on a morning train. Why are some trains slower like the 301K ?

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