Shanghai Maglev Train

We were out near the airport on Monday, so I took the opportunity to do what I couldn't when first arriving in Shanghai, that is, get the Maglev train from the airport.

Shanghai's airport, Pudong International, is about 40km outside of the city. In 2004 the worlds first commercial high speed magnetic levitation train opened for business, taking commuters from the airport to the city. Well, about three quarters of the way into the city. For some reason the Maglev train terminates at Longyang Road station and you have to change for another train. The train system is really very efficient in Shanghai, trains arrive every 3 minutes or so on the dot. The downside is that to get anywhere there is always a lot of changing lines.

What the Maglev lacks in final destination however, it makes up for in speed.

The train takes 7 mins and 20 sec to do the 30.5KM track, reaching a top speed of 431km/h (unfortunately the photo I took of the speed indicator when it was at 431 turned out blurred.)

The train is on a raised track, running for most of its course along side a highway. We had previously caught a taxi along this stretch of highway and I had seen a Maglev train go past. I have never seen anything move that fast in my life. (Sure, planes move faster but they are usually quite a distance from you when you observe them.) The first one that passed me that day was the first Maglev I had seen on that track (naturally) and as I was not expecting it when it entered my field of vision my brain was stuck processing the image while the train totally disappeared from view.

The ride was quite smooth, and the train very comfortable. The train banked steeply into one major curve along the track and it was hard to reconcile ones vision and inner ear. The whole train was tilted quite substantially, if the train had not been moving so fast anyone standing would have fallen. The centrifugal force however made 'down' feel roughly perpendicular to the floor of the train carriage.

This short stretch of track is only a technology demonstrator. They are talking of extending this track to Hangzhou in the neighbouring Zhejaing province 180km away in time for the 2010 expo. All in all, a load of fun. I could have stayed on it going back and forth all day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Maglev