The Maglev

Transit in Hong Kong airport was routine. Shanghai Pudong Airport looks like any other modern large airport. After entry formalities, I headed for the Shanghai Magnetic Levitation Train, or Maglev, for short. The system was built as a demonstration system because it terminates outside of the city. It seems that the long term plan is to link it up with the second airport in the west, Hongqiao. In the meantime visitors to Shanghai can have a taste of it for the measly sum of 40RMB, or about 6AUD. (There is actually a 10RMB discount for incoming or outgoing passengers on the same day.)

The carriages are comfy and look just like any other long distance train carriage. The young men in the photo seemed to be a group of visiting South Korean students.

During the journey you are not aware of the speed, except seeing the landscape silently rush past outside. So if you were expecting thrills, it will be a bit of a letdown. We reached a top speed of around 300 km/h. (It can go faster. Also it was on par with the high speed trains I would later take.)

30km on and 8 minutes later we were at the Longyang Road terminus. This is what the elevated track looks like.

And this is what the tail of the Maglev train looks like.

Before transferring to Line 2 of the Shanghai Metro, I spotted a Maglev Museum on ground level, free to view for passengers. There are good exhibits there with explanations in two languages. It was deserted though, I was the only visitor. I guess the novelty of the line had passed.


(Rest of the day in following posts.)