What is "transrapid"

Transrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation based on a 1934 patent. Planning for the Transrapid system started in 1969 with a test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany completed in 1987. In 1991, technical readiness for application was approved by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in cooperation with renowned universities.

The current application-ready version, the Transrapid 09, is designed for a cruising speed of 500 km/h (311 mph) and allows acceleration and deceleration of approximately 1 m/s (2.24 mi/min).

In 2004, the first commercial implementation was completed — the Shanghai Maglev Train, which connects the city of Shanghai's rapid transit network to Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The Transrapid system has not yet been deployed on a long-distance intercity line.

The system is developed and marketed by Transrapid International, a joint venture of Siemens and ThyssenKrupp.

At the end of 2011, the operating license for the Emsland test track expired, and it closed down. In early 2012, demolition and reconversion of the entire Emsland site including the factory was approved.