All-aboard for Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev project
The Ministry of Railways gave the go-ahead on March 13 for a high-speed magnetic levitation railway project, or maglev for short, which would traverse a distance of nearly 200 kilometers between Shanghai and Hangzhou.
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Competition between airlines and rail operators will further hot up thanks to China's more and more high-speed railway lines. To deal with this threat of Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway, China Southern Airlines last week unveiled several counter measures, including cutting ticket prices from Wuhan to Guangzhou by almost half for advanced purchases. [more]

Backgrounder

The Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed maglev line will allow trains to run at speeds of 400 kilometers per hour, while ordinary railways only allow a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour. After the Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev project is completed and put into operation, it will connect with the existing Pudong Airport maglev line to realize the seamless linking between the Shanghai South Railway Station, Hongqiao Airport, Pudong Airport and Hangzhou. The Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev project mainly adopts technologies imported from Germany. Some of the related technologies are now being absorbed by China. So far, an ordinary maglev train model completely designed and manufactured by China has experienced 30,000 kilometers of safe operation.

New 'silk road'

China's high-speed rail may link 17 nations
·Less than two years after China's first high-speed railway went into operation, the country is now planning to extend its rail network beyond its borders, a project that will involve 17 nations. The international rail network will boost the exchange of trade and promote China's newly acquired high-speed railway technology, likely the next brand of "Made in China" comparable to world competitors, experts say. [more]

Big spending pays off

High-speed rail easing traffic congestion and integrating the markets
·The high-speed trains greatly relieved traffic pressure during the travel season, the world's largest human migration, and have also freed existing tracks for delivery of more freight. [more]
·"The Zhengzhou-Xi'an high-speed railway will meet the growing demand of of passenger and cargo transportation in central and western China, and help promote local development." [more]