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After two years of operation, China's first magnetic levitation
line has formally passed State examination and appraisal.
Yesterday's announcement augurs well
for the proposed construction of a line connecting
Shanghai and Hangzhou.
The existing line was started in March 2001 and completed 22 months
later. The 30-kilometre track connects Shanghai's Pudong Airport with the
city, and is largely based on German magnetic levitation (maglev)
technology.
Maglev trains can travel at a speed of up to 430 kilometres per hour,
whizzing passengers to their
planes in less than eight minutes.
According to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC),
which carried out the examination, the maglev trains had carried 6.23
million passengers by the end of March this year, both for transportation
and sightseeing.
The cost of line was revealed to be 9.93 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion),
slightly below budget.
The successful construction and operation of the Shanghai maglev line
is regarded by many as a good prelude to the construction of 175-kilometre
line connecting Shanghai with Hangzhou, provincial capital of East China's
Zhejiang Province.
Technology will remain a big concern in the construction of the new
line, officials said. The Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev line will in part use
German technology, but the State Council is encouraging engineers "to
learn and absorb foreign advanced technologies while making further
innovations."
The government also suggests the Shanghai maglev line operator could
improve its operating management and efficiency, extend operation hours
and attract more passengers.
(China Daily) | 
