Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train

Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train is a proposed line from Shanghai to Hangzhou, to be built by Germany's Transrapid consortium . The project start date is in 2010, and the target for completion is 2014.

Introduction

The high speed line will run between the two Chinese cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou. The total length will be 169.725 km , of which 64.485 km will be within the City of Shanghai and 105.24 km in the province of Zhejiang. Four stations are to be built: at the Expo 2010 site in east Shanghai; in south Shanghai; Jiaxing; and east Hangzhou. The proposed design speed is 450 km/h, which would allow the train to travel the 169.725 km total distance in just 27 minutes. Construction is scheduled to be completed in time for Expo 2010. The total budget of the project will be 35 billion yuan .

If built, the line will become the first inter-city Maglev rail line in commercial service in the world. The line is an extension of the only Maglev line in commercial service in China so far, the Shanghai Maglev Train at Pudong International Airport.

This project is planned to be in operation before the EXPO 2010 but as of July 2008, neither the connection line to Hongqiao Airport nor the main line to Hangzhou had started construction.

On August 18, 2008 Shanghai Daily reported, that the final decision has been made, and that construction of the whole project would start in 2010, and be finished in 2014.

Concerns

Media reports on 26 May 2007 said the Shanghai city government announced that the project had been suspended, citing "radiation concerns". The Shanghai government quickly denied those reports. An environmental assessment report released January 2 2008, for citizens to comment on until January 15, says the rail link will have minimal impact on the local environment.

In January and February 2008, hundreds of residents demonstrated in downtown Shanghai against the line being built close to their homes. The residents were reportedly concerned with potential health hazards, noise and loss of property value. The Shanghai scheme has a buffer zone around the track that will be 22.5 m wide, which compares unfavourably with German standards that require houses to be 300 m away from the line.

Representatives of the residents filed a formal request to demonstrate with the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, which was rejected.

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