Shanghai Maglev Train

The Shanghai Transrapid is a magnetic levitation train, which on 31 December 2002 on a 30 km stretch from the station Lóngyáng Street (Chinese龙阳路, Pinyin Lóngyáng - lù, street of the dragon and Yáng ') on the outskirts of Shanghai (PR China ), near the exhibition Center Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC ) was started to Pudong airport with the trial run. Holdings is the Shanghai Maglev Train ( Magnetic Levitation Train - Maglev ) from the Shanghai Maglev Transportation Co., Ltd..

Travel time, travel costs, utilization

The Transrapid - in China Shanghai Maglev Train ( SMT ) or Cixuanfulieche (Chinese磁悬浮 列车) called - needed for the 30 km route 7 minutes and 18 seconds. After 3 ½ minutes ( covered distance: 12,5 km ), the operating speed of 430 km / h is reached. It is held for 50 seconds before the delay phase (again 12.5 km ) begins. The average speed on this route is then 247 km / h Meanwhile wrong the majority of journeys (47 of 59 per day in each direction ) only with a reduced top speed of 300 km / h, making the travel time increased to about 8 minutes and 10 seconds. The top speed of 430 km / h ( as of August 2013) is only reached in the morning and afternoon each about 45 minutes long time windows.

The Transrapid operates daily 14 hours on the track and can per trip to transport up to 440 passengers. On average (as of end of 2007) were transported daily around 7500 passengers. A single ticket 2nd class costs 50 yuan ( yuan) (about 6 euros ), upon presentation of a valid ticket 40 CNY. That's 10 times the price of an urban subway ride about 5-7 stations, or 2.5 times the price of the airport bus, which connects the city directly to the Pudong airport.

The route is deficient according to media reports due to low utilization. World Online called on 20 January 2009, citing China Business Journal a loss of operators of at least 100 million euros by the end of 2007 and an occupancy rate of below 20 percent.

Already in mid- 2004, the fare due to low capacity utilization to 50 yuan ( yuan) was ( about 6 euros ) has been lowered.

Project

The Transrapid line in Shanghai is the first commercial application of the German system. However, it was also designed "only" as a test track, as China officially wanted (860-1000 km / h speed difference ) do not perform the first country in the commercial application without knowledge in continuous operation and oncoming traffic. Reasons for the track alignment will be with maximum radii of curvature and the journey called with maximum acceleration to the brevity of the route not being able to still achieve reasonable speed. Officially, therefore, an economic power is also not targeted as a goal but the testing of the properties in the high-load operation.

A particular challenge for the route Bauer was sediment in the bottom soft and hydrated Shanghai. In order to give approximately 25 meters of each other standing on stilts the necessary stability, you have placed them on each 8m ² large concrete slabs. The forces are absorbed per disk with a maximum of 16 pieces up to 80 feet deep reaching concrete piles. To ensure the very tight tolerances of the plane of travel even in tectonic dislocations (e.g. earthquake smaller ), it can be adjusted hydraulically.

For a long time investigating Chinese universities and companies, the extent to which vehicle components in China can be manufactured locally. This localization is to get the know-how to the country and save money. Whether this measure, however, actually leads to the desired cost savings, partially doubted. The development of the system is largely dependent on the engineering performance and cooperation with the German manufacturers. So although China is already positioned in the track construction as well, in the control and regulation technology, however, is not as powerful enough. Nevertheless, it is feared that China saves expensive costs of development and copied the technology.

Project History

( Under partial use of the time tables of the Exhibition Hall Shanghai Maglev Longyang Station)

• During a visit to the former Chancellor Schröder was signed by representatives of Thyssen and the Chinese Ministry of Science a Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a 50 to 100 -km test track for the Transrapid. While Beijing or Shanghai metropolitan area were considered as locations.
• June 30, 2000: The German and Chinese governments signed an agreement to conduct a joint feasibility study of Maglev Shanghai.
• August 2000: The Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co. Ltd.. was established with a capital of 2 billion RMB. Eight partners invested in the project.
• November 20, 2000: The feasibility study prepared in German - Chinese cooperation of the Maglev has been published. At the same time, negotiations between Germany and China on the delivery of components and services began. On the German side, the company Max Bögl, Siemens AG, ThyssenKrupp Transrapid GmbH and Transrapid International GmbH & Co. KG were involved. The contract sum amounted to 1.293 billion DM
• January 23, 2001: German and Chinese contractors signed the contract for the supply of components and services. The contract for the four six-car trains (supplied by Thyssen -Krupp ) as well as the control and drive and signal technology (supplied by Siemens) was estimated at less than two billion DM. The cost of the infrastructure in the amount another billion DM was funded by the Chinese government. The German government subsidized the project with DM 200 million from interest proceeds of the UMTS auctions. The first train should float above the track on 1 January 2003, the regular operation should begin in early 2004. The signing was initially expected in mid- December 2000, and was moved after both sides came to an agreement about the price.
• January 26, 2001: Another agreement to cooperate in the track construction has been closed.
• February 2001: On the basis of the feasibility study is a first draft design of the project has been completed. With the help of German technology transfer, then started the final design of route, infrastructure, maintenance center, etc..
• March 1, 2001: The construction of the factory for the production of infrastructure support began.
• March 2001: Purchase of land that lie on the surface of the infrastructure which has been largely completed. Similarly, the demolition of buildings in this area could be completed.
• 31 December 2002: A so-called VIP -run in the presence of Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder took place.
• July 2003: The automatically -managed and secure operation with two vehicles and train meeting began. From September 2003, the auto circulating operation was tested with three vehicles.
• November 2003: A demonstration drive with an 8- sections - train took place.
• On 12 November 2003 the unmodified Transrapid achieved in Shanghai with 501 km / h setting a new record as the fastest commercial maglev. For comparison: in 2007 drove the TGV 574,8 km / h than conventional rail-bound, but as a purpose-built record vehicle on specially made-up track at a singular record run.
• December 2003: The release for commercial use as scheduled moderately fastest track-bound vehicle in the world took place. In the first weeks of operation, the number of passengers remained at about 500 to 600 per day significantly below expectations. The operation was initially limited to a few hours per day.
• July 3, 2004: One Millionth Passenger
• Mid-2004, dismissed the operating company behind media reports that absenke the route due to the soft subsoil. This was taken into account when planning the route, the settlements they had under control.
• July 2005: Four Millionth Passenger
• June 2006: Seven millionth passenger
• End of 2007: 13 million total passengers carried.
• July 2008: more than 15 million passengers by the end of July.
• December 2010: 27 million total passengers carried.
• January 2011: Commercial use of a fully manufactured in China maglev vehicle ( 4- sections - train ) on the track.

At the beginning of the planning in 2001 was calculated with 10 million passengers in 2010; actually achieved in 2007, capacity utilization is at 4 million passengers. According to newspaper reports heavy losses will be generated. One economically promising route stood legitimate residents protests because of the high noise at high speeds against. The main problem applies the broken traffic as the route leads only to the outer eastern boundary of the inner-city buildings and a transfer to a bus or subway is required. To get to the western areas of the city, approximately 9 kilometers of track in difficult terrain and the river crossing would be required.

Within the framework of cooperation agreements with the German system manufacturers a technology transfer has been agreed that will enable the Chinese side, largely to build maglev trains independently. The first vehicle made ​​entirely in China was introduced to the public in spring 2010 and is since January 2011, in everyday use on the track. It corresponds largely to the optical "German" Transrapid.

Expansion plans

Attempts of the Transrapid consortium, the Chinese government to convince the use of the Transrapid technology for the intended route to Beijing failed.

Beginning of 2004 hoped instead to be able to use the Transrapid routes from Shanghai to Hangzhou or Nanjing the consortium. ' The planned expansion in the 170 km distant neighboring city of Hangzhou was abandoned in January 2011.

Further expansion plan includes the connection of approximately 53 kilometers apart airports of Shanghai ( Pudong International Airport to the west of the city lying Hongqiao Domestic Airport ). Thyssen -Krupp and the Shanghai Maglev operating company should have agreed in accordance with previous reports on an extension before the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai; the project was abandoned with this termination, however. To keep the harassment of local residents low, the original route planning was shortened and planned an underground route guidance in many areas. The connection to the second airport will in particular improve the efficiency of the then central running total distance due to the currently unsatisfactory utilization. In January 2008, there were demonstrations against the Transrapid systems in Shanghai. Residents fear particular health problems. The cost of the additional track construction are in China are now at 46 million euros per km and have been compared with original plans more than doubled. It is unknown whether a realization of the project plan is monitored by the Chinese operator on (as of February 2013). Thyssen- Krupp, the Transrapid plant in Kassel closed in 2012.

Incidents

On 11 August 2006 there was a technical defect, through which the Transrapid caught fire. According to eyewitnesses, the second car suddenly caught fire. The train was 500 meters away and stop the fire be extinguished quickly. Despite the heavy smoke no one was injured. There was only property damage. The track, however, was blocked for several days through the wrecked train and thus fell for the operation. The cause has been interpreted a defective battery.