Maglev may be an exciting technology with no need for conventional tracks but its future in China in the short term is for local services, not long haul traval.

Wang Yongping, spokesman for the Ministry of Railways (MOR), said, ‘At present, most countries use tracks. Maglev technology is a new means of transport that still needs to be researched and improved.’

The National Development and Reform Commission approved a project last year that would use maglev technology on the Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway. In contrast, Wang said, MOR, which is responsible for building national rail lines, had ‘never chosen to use maglev technology’ and ad not done any research on it.

The Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway and the maglev train serving Shanghai’s Pudong Airport — the world’s first commercial maglev train — are both local railways.

MOR has been upgrading the country’s railway transport capacity using high technology in other areas. Since 2004, it has incorporated engine and car technology from France’s Alstom, Canada’s Bombardier, Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Germany’s Siemens AG and the US’ GE and EMD.

The bullet trains that have been running at 200 kph since the recent sixth railway speedup rely on French and Japanese technology although domestic manufacturers have built at least 70%of the country’s high-speed trains. In addition, China has built on the available technologies to develop even faster trains.

Jiang Jing, chairman of the board of CSR Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock in Qingdao, Shandong Province, said, ‘A Chinese-designed 300-kph bullet train will roll off the line at the end of this year. It will be used on the Beijing-Tianjin passenger rail line next year.’

He said at a press conference his company would provide ten of the new bullet trains for the Beijing-Tianjin line, which will open to traffic next year. The route is expected to cut the one-hour travel time in half.
Source: China.org.cn