SHANGHAI – Construction of China’s newest high-speed magnetic levitation train has been suspended because of nearby residents’ complaints about possible radiation effects, China’s official news agency said.
The line from Shanghai to Hangzhou will be the world’s second commercially operating maglev line, following one linking Shanghai’s Pudong international airport to the city.
German technology supplier Siemens AG said it was close to signing a deal that would allow the world’s only maglev train in commercial use – from Pudong International Airport to downtown Shanghai – to be extended to Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport.
In March last year, the central government approved a feasibility study on the 175km Shanghai-Hangzhou route with speeds of up to 450km per hour. But recent accidents and cost concerns, as well as strong opposition from local residents, have plagued the project.
The project was expected to be completed by 2010 in time for the Shanghai Expo.
