List of maglev train proposals

This is a list of proposed Maglev trains worldwide.

Europe

Denmark

As a part of the suggestion af making a bridge across Kattegat, there has been proposals of a Maglev connection between Copenhagen and Århus.^[1]

Germany

Munich: A Transrapid connection linking the city centre of the Bavarian capital Munich to the airport (37 km) had been planned. It promised to reduce the connection time from about 40 minutes by the existing S-Bahn (German city railway system) to 10 minutes. On September 25, 2007, Bavaria announced it would build Europe's first commercial track. The Bavarian government signed a contract with Deutsche Bahn and Transrapid with Siemens and ThyssenKrupp for the 1.85 billion-euro ($2.6 billion) project.^[2] However, the project was strongly opposed by Christian Ude, the mayor of Munich. On 27 March 2008 the German government scrapped the project because of a massive cost overrun.^[3]

Berlin – Hamburg: A 292 km Transrapid line linking Berlin to Hamburg. It was cancelled due to lack of funds, and the existing conventional railway line was upgraded for 230 km/h operation by ICE trainsets instead.

Switzerland

SwissRapide: The SwissRapide AG in co-operation with the SwissRapide Consortium are developing and promoting an above-ground Maglev monorail system, based on the Transrapid technology. The first projects planned are the lines Berne – Zurich, Lausanne – Geneva as well as Zurich – Winterthur.^[4][5]

Swissmetro: An earlier project, Swissmetro, has previously had the vision of constructing an underground Maglev rail system. As with SwissRapide, Swissmetro envisioned connecting the major cities in Switzerland with one another. In 2011, Swissmetro AG was dissolved and the IPRs from the organisation were passed onto the EPFL in Lausanne.^[6]

United Kingdom

Main article: UK Ultraspeed

London – Glasgow: A maglev line has recently been proposed in the United Kingdom from London to Glasgow with several route options through the Midlands, Northwest, Leeds and Northeast of England and is reported to be under favourable consideration by the government. A further high speed link is also being planned between Glasgow to Edinburgh though there is no settled technology for this concept yet, i.e. Maglev/Hi Speed Electric, etc.^[7][8][9]

Glasgow – Edinburgh: A separate maglev link is also being planned between Glasgow Airport and Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport and Edinburgh which would cut journey time between the two cities from one hour to 15 minutes. Work will begin as early as January 2008. The technology that will be used has not been decided.^[7][10]

Asia

China

Shanghai – Hangzhou: China had planned to extend the world’s first commercial Transrapid line between Pudong airport and the city of Shanghai initially by some 35 kilometers to Hong Qiao airport before the World Expo 2010 and then, in an additional phase, by 200 kilometers to the city of Hangzhou (Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train), which would have been the first inter-city Maglev rail line in commercial service in the world. The line would have been an extension of the Shanghai airport Maglev line.

Talks with Germany and Transrapid Konsortium about the details of the construction contracts took place. While the Chinese Minister of Transportation was quoted by several Chinese and Western newspapers in 2006 as saying the line was approved, a February 27, 2009 People's Daily Online article indicates that the Shanghai municipal government is considering building the line underground to allay the public's fear of electromagnetic pollution, and that any final decision has to be approved by the National Development and Reform Commission.

India

'Delhi – Mumbai'Pune-Pimple Saudagar – Mumbai- Panvel: The Indian Ministry is currently in the process of reviewing a proposal to start a Maglev train system in India.^[11] It has already been estimated that the cost to complete this process would be over $30 Billion. The company who sent the proposals is a company based in the United States. There have been feelers sent to Lalu Prasad, Railway Minister, in which the advantages of a Maglev train system were presented. Although still at a preliminary stage, if completed, the train travel time between the two cities will be reduced to three hours, compared to an original 16 hours. (Edit: this plan has been dropped in favor of Garib Rath (poor peoples cart) that promises a to b transport of human mass with ticket or without as well .But now Mumbai is planning to have its first Maglev connecting to Pune ,which will take 30 minutes along the 200km stretch . This is planned near Hinjewadi IT park in an area called Pimple Saudagar. Pune and Mumbai has a freeway(also called as expressway) where approximately 14000 vehicles travel daily , making fuel consumption at .2 million liters a day . The business proposal is to reduce the fuel consumption and promote Maglev by income from Carbon Credit Sales.

Japan

Tokyo – Osaka: On May 27, 2011, the Transport Minister of Japan approved the Chūō Shinkansen maglev line, connecting connect Tokyo to Osaka and expanding off of the existing test track in Yamanashi prefecture. Construction is expected to being in 2014 with the first segment from Tokyo to Nagoya to be completed by 2027. The second segment from Nagoya to Osaka is expected to be completed by 2045. The 550 km-line will have a top operating speed of 600 km/h and a travel time between Tokyo and Osaka of just 67 minutes.^[12]

Malaysia

Johor: Malaysia has decided to use Maglev technology to link important landmarks across the city. This will be a boost to business to compete against the neighbouring city, Singapore. The system will be a monorail type maglev, developed in China.^[13]

Pakistan

Lahore Central - Lahore Airport: The proposal on the 34 km maglev line project was submitted in 2006 to the then President of the country Pervez Musharraf. The train was to be run from Lahore city to the new terminal complex of the international airport. The Lahore Magno Express (LME) would be a fully computerized train and would operate without drivers. A consortium comprising Interglobe, Thinet International and Monolite would build the guideway and hire expertise from abroad for the maglev technology.

The consortium is to invest an 85% of the total cost of $US 650 million. The 5m-high guideway will be built from the Lahore Bridge on the river Ravi near Shahdara, via Bhatti Chowk to the new terminals. The stations, 26 of which have been identified, will be accessed from street level by stairs initially and lifts at a later date. With a commercial speed of 60 km/h, journey time will be 31 minutes, which is about half the time it takes by road. A further study has been initiated on the project.

Karachi/Rawalpindi/Gawadar: The city of Karachi is also currently developing a mass transport system to cope with the huge rise in inter-city travel.

North America

The Cascadia Maglev:Long-proposed but not on any official drawing boards would be a Maglev line along the Interstate 5 corridor, its core component from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia, with eventual extensions to Eugene, Oregon (in the south) and Whistler, British Columbia (in the north). The initial phase of the project would link Tacoma to Seattle, mirroring the old interurban line between those two cities. The same idea has re-surfaced with a conventional high-speed rail proposal, although its extension into British Columbia has been largely blocked by opposition on the part of the City of White Rock, British Columbia, which would sit astride the line.

Puerto Rico

San Juan - Caguas: A 16.7-mile (26.9 km) maglev project has been proposed linking Tren Urbano's Cupey Station in San Juan with two proposed stations to be build in the city of Caguas, south of San Juan. The maglev line would run along Highway PR-52 connecting both cities. According to American Maglev Technology (AMT), who is the company in charge of the construction of this train, the cost of this project is approximately US$380 million. ^{[14] [15][16]}

United States

Pittsburgh-Cleveland-

Keystone Corridor: According to Transrapid, Inc., Pittsburgh has the most advanced Maglev initiative in the U.S., followed by the Las Vegas project. Once federal funding is finalized, these two markets could be the first to see Maglev in the United States. Initially, the project calls for a transrapid system throughout the metro Pittsburgh area. Further planning calls for extensions eastward to Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Upon completion, a commute from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia would be reduced to 90-120 minutes. A commuter traversing the Pennsylvania Turnpike would currently spend approximately 4hrs 58mins if traveling at the speed limit.^[17]

California-Nevada Interstate Maglev High-speed maglev lines between major cities of southern California and Las Vegas are also being studied via the California-Nevada Interstate Maglev Project. This plan was originally supposed to be part of an I-5 or I-15 expansion plan, but the federal government has ruled it must be separated from interstate public work projects.

Since the federal government decision, private groups from Nevada have proposed a line running from Las Vegas to Los Angeles with stops in Primm, Nevada; Baker, California; and points throughout Riverside County into Los Angeles.

Baltimore-Washington D.C. Maglev: A 39 Mile (64 km) project has been proposed linking Camden Yards in Baltimore and Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport to Union Station in Washington, D.C. It is in demand for the area due to its current traffic/congestion problems. The Baltimore proposal is competing with the above-referenced Pittsburgh proposal for a $90 million federal grant.

Honolulu: The city of Honolulu, Hawaii is said to be planning a Linimo class urban Maglev for its main mass transit train.^{[citation needed]}

San Diego: San Diego is considering a high-speed maglev line to serve as a passenger transportation mode to remote airport sites under consideration. The cost estimate is approximately $10 billion USD for the 120-150 km (80-100 mile) run, not including the cost of construction of the airport.^[18]

Atlanta – Chattanooga: The proposed maglev route would run from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, run through Atlanta, continue to the northern suburbs of Atlanta, and possibly even extend to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Official proposals also exist to extend the route to Nashville.^[19] If built, the maglev line would rival Atlanta's current subway system, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the rail system of which includes a major branch running from downtown Atlanta to Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

References

1. ^ Rasmussen, Michelle (June 29, 2007). "Danish Maglev Plan A Challenge to Germany". Executive Intelligence Review. http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2007/3426dane-german_maglev.html. 
2. ^ BBC NEWS, Germany to build maglev railway
3. ^ "Germany Scraps Transrapid Rail Plans". Deutsche Welle. March 27, 2008. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3219174,00.html. 
4. ^ "Lausanne en 10 minutes" (in French). GHI. 3 March 2011. http://www.swissrapide.com/upload/dokumente/2011.03.03%20Artikel%20SwissRapide%20GHI.pdf. Retrieved 20 May 2011. 
5. ^ "In 20 Minuten von Zürich nach Bern" (in German). Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 20 June 2009. http://www.swissrapide.com/upload/dokumente/NZZ_SwissRapide_Express_20_06_2009.pdf. Retrieved 20 May 2011. 
6. ^ http://www.swissmetro.ch/
7. ^ ^{a b} "UK Ultraspeed". http://www.500kmh.com. 
8. ^ Wainwright, Martin (August 9, 2005). "Hovertrain to cut London-Glasgow time to two hours". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,2763,1545279,00.html. 
9. ^ (Financial Times)^{[dead link]}
10. ^ "'Floating' rail link gets support". BBC News. April 21, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6577311.stm. 
11. ^ Ramesh, Randeep (2007-12-19). "Mumbai plans prestige maglev train to combat overcrowding". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/19/india.international. Retrieved 2010-05-08. 
12. ^ "Go-ahead for Tokyo - Osaka Maglev". International Railway Journal. May 31, 2011. http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/go-ahead-for-tokyo-osaka-maglev-1219.html. 
13. ^ http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/9/business/15088996&sec=business
14. ^ http://www.globalatlanta.com/article/24607/
15. ^ http://www.primerahora.com/williammirandatorrespideapoyoparafinanciartrenencaguas-557104.html
16. ^ http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=57523&ct_id=1
17. ^ www.maps.google.com
18. ^ (san.org}^{[dead link]}
19. ^ Tennessee Department of Transportation (November 2003). "High Speed Trains: Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta". http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/documents/highspeed.pdf. 

External links

• The International Maglevboard