1. Laura DegitzLogan Stern

2.  Magnetic Levitation  Alternative to traditional train systems  Lift and propulsion is provided by a large number of magnets rather than a traditional engine  The train hovers 10-15mm above the track  No wheels or axles  The train requires less energy to hover than to run the air conditioning system

4.  Shanghai Transrapid is the first commercial high-speed maglev line in the world  The line spans 30 km and connects the Long Yang subway station to the Pudang Airport  The train accelerates to 220 mph in 2 minutes  Maximum operational speed is 311 mph  The journey takes only 7 minutes, 20 seconds  A one-way ticket costs about $7

5.  Transrapid has been developing Maglev trains since 1979  The system was designed by German engineering firms Siemens and ThyssenKrupp  Construction began in March 2001  Open for public service January 1 st, 2004  A train compartment caught fire in August 2006

6.  Environmental  Lower noise emission  Energy consumption  Land use.  Economic  Lower maintenance costs than traditional trains  Speed  Fastest ground transportation available

7.  New track and infrastructure must be built to support Maglev systems  The noise made by the Maglev is more annoying than traditional trains  Requires sophisticated control systems to maintain the train’s position on the track  Cost: $1.45 billion  The system will not be able to recoup the initial construction costs at the current ridership rate (50 yen and 7000 passengers per day)

8.  Each Maglev train can carry 574 people  Transrapid operates 2 trains to meet demand  Operates at 15 minute intervals, 15 hours a day, 7 days a week  As of Oct. 2007, daily ridership exceeds 20,000  Anecdotal evidence shows morning commute trains are 60-70% full (about 22,000 people/day)

9.  http://www.transrapid.de/ http://www.transrapid.de/  http://www.smtdc.com/en/ http://www.smtdc.com/en/  http://maglevboard.net/