Reasons for getting MagLev trains?

Question

at a calculated 45mins from Manch-London this would severely increase the migratory nature of our economy and allow for ease of industry and investment. Beijing has already piloted this technology and has had DAZZLING results.

If Britain is going to remain as a financial centre we are going to need to improve our transport.

Also we could join Manchester and Liverpool airports (10-15min travel) to form, the world's largest airport with a combined 7 terminals (bigger than the new Beijing airport).

What do you think?

http://www.500kmh.com/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7011932.stm

Answer 1

Poster, PuterPrsn, I think said it best (why scrap something that still works just fine?).  From what I have heard from China's short segment of Maglev it has been less than dazzling and has encountered numerous mechanical problems.

In any event, I'm not sure what the fascination is concerning Maglev.  The technology, while inviting, is far from being reliable and efficient, as it is still, for the most part, in the developmental stage.  For instance, I believe Japan had a short segment of Maglev but shut it down in recent years due to high cost and unreliability.

At this time, if you're after efficiency and speed at a reasonable cost and ROI, there is still nothing that can beat electrics.  I'm not sure in what state-of-repair Britain's electrical rail lines currently reside, but again, it would be far cheaper to overhaul and update them (if needed) then spend the billions required on unproven Maglev technology.

Answer 2

You'd be better off spending the money on reaserch into developing a "Matter Transporter" with Dazzling technology!

Basicly, there's nowhere to put it, and no money to build it.

The French are massively pro rail, and have spent billions of euros on high speed rail lines. If the Mag-lev was a serious contender for mass transportation, you'd imagine that they would be seriously looking at this consept, but they are not. Which to me says alot about the future posibilities of any large scale Mag-lev systems.

Answer 3

The only reason to do maglev trains is to steal from the government.  The contractors will make billions!   The French have a technology that's superior in every way to maglev, except 1/10 the price.  If they're not willing to build TGV track, what makes you think they're willing to build maglev?

Answer 4

Well as I have said before in your last question about the MagLev train system :

The idea of introducing Mag Lev trains in the UK would be Brilliant......But to do so would in cure major costs.

Unlike in the countries which have introduced this type of railway, here in the UK the laws are very differ ant and while places like Germany, France or China, the governments can say right we are going to build a railway through this part of town and you house will be knocked down in six months time. in the UK the government has to go about paying everyone who homes are in the way. Also we cannot rip up the present railway infrastructure and replace it with a Mag Lev lines as this would cause to much disruption.

If only we could be like the Frence where in the last 30 years they have gone in knocked houses and parts of town so then built they could their highspeed train network from scratch.

Mind the great British Railway IS the fastest growing railway network in Europe & there are plans for HS2 (Highspeed2). The only thing stopping that at the moment is Gordon Brown & his goverment!!!

Answer 5

For one mile of maglev rail, you could upgrade several hundred miles of existing rail for high speed travel.

I see no reason for maglev at all.

Dazzling technology that gives a horribly poor return for the money spent at this time.

Perhaps in the future, it would require a huge population density and massive ridership to be viable.

Answer 6

What you have to consider is a) the amount of already-existing infrastructure and b) the amount of space it will take.

China is in a position to put in the latest technology for everything because they didn't have ANY technology to speak of already in place. Most of the "western world" that invented all of these great things have put in an infrastructure as they learned. To make it most effective, the existing trains would have to be removed and the new ones put in their place - or, new would have be built on someone's land and then the old removed. Either way, you must take into account the upheaval involved for the people affected.

It's easy on paper to replace old with new, otten not so easy in practical terms.

Answer 7

No point, the highest speed achieved by conventional high speed rail is only a few km/h slower the the highest speed a maglev has achieved (IIRC its 574km/h v 581km/h).

The current generation of high speed trains (Siemens ICE3 and Alstom AGV) have service speeds of 350km/h (that's about 220mph)

Now the big one, you only need to build new high speed lines from the outskirts of cities, you don't have to build all new as TGVs and similar can use the 'classic' lines if required. Maglev would require a whole new route to reach city centres. That would cost a lot!

Maglev's are also propriety technology, the two versions (German and Japanese) are not compatible, build track for a Transrapid and you would have to buy all trains from Transrapid AG. With conventional high speed rail you have a choice of Alstom, Bombardier, Talgo, Siemens, Alsando Breda, Hitachi and many more, you can mix and match too - the Spanish AVE network uses a mixture of Alstom, Bombardier, Talgo and Siemens trains

and one more advantage to conventional TGVs, they can use 'Classic' routes to reach places off the high speed routes. Direct Journeys are attractive to passengers - even if they are slow - see the success of the former Manchester to Penzance Wales and Borders service before it was withdrawn for political reasons after a squabble between the Welsh Assembly and DaFT. It took all day (being an local/interegional train rather then express) but passengers prefered it to the quicker alternative of changing in Birmingham.

Answer 8

The only problem with very high speed trains in the UK(wether maglev or railed) would be the amount of people who would want to travel from say Manchester and London.

To be cost effective trains on this route have to call to pick up passengers at stops inbetween.

With a sevice where the stops are only a few miles apart,by the time the train has accelerated to full speed it would be approching its braking point for the next stop...not efficient at all!  

The reason maglev and high speed lines work well in an economic sense in countries like France and China is because of the larger distances the trains travel.

Answer 9

Joining Manchester and Liverpool airports would not work, as people from manchester and liverpool do not get on with each other. ~_^