View source for Transrapid

{{short description|German developed high-speed monorail train}}
[[File:Transrapid 09.jpg|thumb|Transrapid 09 at the [[Emsland test facility]] in Germany]]
[[File:Shanghai Maglev 2.jpg|thumb|Transrapid SMT train in Shanghai]]
[[File:Seitenansicht Maglev Sideview.JPG|thumb|Transrapid SMT train in Shanghai]]
[[File:A maglev train coming out, Pudong International Airport, Shanghai.jpg|thumb|Transrapid SMT train in Shanghai]]
[[File:Transrapid05.JPG|thumb|Transrapid 05 at ThyssenKrupp]]
[[File:Deutsches museum bonn mit transrapid-2.jpg|thumb|Section II of Transrapid 06 in Deutsches Museum Bonn]]
[[File:TR06.jpg|thumb|Transrapid 06]]
[[File:Transrapid 07 Muenchen Airport Center.jpg|thumb|Section I of Transrapid 07 on display at Munich Airport]]

'''Transrapid''' ({{IPA|de|tʁansʁaˈpiːt|lang|De-Transrapid.ogg}}) is a German-developed [[High-speed rail|high-speed]] [[monorail|monorail train]] using [[Maglev|magnetic levitation]]. Planning for the system started in the late 1960s, with [[Emsland test facility|a test facility]] in Emsland, Germany, inaugurated in 1983.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-09-22 |title=In sieben Jahrzehnten zur Schwebebahn |newspaper=Der Spiegel |url= https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/transrapid-geschichte-in-sieben-jahrzehnten-zur-schwebebahn-a-438642.html |access-date=2024-04-26 |language=de}}</ref> In 1991, technical readiness for application was approved by the [[Deutsche Bundesbahn]] in cooperation with renowned universities.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/3JQZYPxQ_Z0 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20151203172616/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JQZYPxQ_Z0 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JQZYPxQ_Z0|title=Der Transrapid - Werbefilm ThyssenKrupp|last=magermunson|date=17 January 2011|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The last version, the 2007-built Transrapid 09, is designed for a cruising speed of {{cvt|505|km/h|mph}} and allows acceleration and deceleration of approximately {{cvt|1|m/s2|kph/s mph/s}}.

In 2002, the first commercial implementation was completed&nbsp;– the [[Shanghai Maglev Train]], which connects the city of Shanghai's rapid transit network {{Convert|30.5|km|2|abbr=on}} to [[Shanghai Pudong International Airport]]. The Transrapid system has not yet been deployed on a long-distance intercity line.

The system was developed and marketed by [[Siemens]] and [[ThyssenKrupp]], as well as other, mostly German companies.

In 2006, a [[Lathen train collision|Transrapid train collided with a maintenance vehicle]] on the German test track, leading to 23 fatalities.

In 2011, the Emsland test track closed down when its operating license expired. In early 2012, demolition and reconversion of the entire Emsland site including the factory was approved, but has been delayed until late 2023 because of concepts for usage as a [[Hyperloop]] test track or a maglev track for the Chinese [[CRRC Maglev]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Transrapid-Teststrecke vor dem Abriss |url=http://www.ndr.de/regional/niedersachsen/emsland/transrapid295.html |access-date=28 April 2022 |date=10 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706235158/http://www.ndr.de/regional/niedersachsen/emsland/transrapid295.html |archive-date=6 July 2012 |url-status=dead |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-26 |title=Rückbau der Transrapid Versuchsanlage naht - MagnetBahn |url=https://magnetbahn.org/news/rueckbau-der-transrapid-versuchsanlage-naht/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |language=de}}</ref>

The development of the Transrapid system in Germany has been carried forward in some form by the company [[Max Bögl]], which has developed the [[Transport System Bögl]] for short range maglev tracks.

==Technology==
{{see also|Maglev#Technology}}
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2022}}

===Levitation===
The super-speed Transrapid maglev system has no wheels, no axles, no gear transmissions, no steel rails, and no overhead electrical [[Pantograph (transport)|pantographs]]. The maglev vehicles do not roll on wheels; rather, they hover above the track guideway, using the [[Electromagnetic suspension|attractive magnetic force between two linear arrays of electromagnetic coils]]—one side of the coil on the vehicle, the other side in the track guideway, which function together as a magnetic dipole. During levitation and travelling operation, the Transrapid maglev vehicle floats on a frictionless magnetic cushion with no mechanical contact whatsoever with the track guideway. On-board vehicle electronic systems measure the dipole gap distance 100,000 times per second to guarantee the clearance between the coils attached to the underside of the guideway and the magnetic portion of the vehicle wrapped around the guideway edges. With this precise, constantly updated electronic control, the dipole gap remains nominally constant at {{convert|10|mm}}. When levitated, the maglev vehicle has about {{convert|15|cm}} of clearance above the guideway surface.

The Transrapid maglev vehicle requires less power to hover than it needs to run its on-board air conditioning equipment.

In Transrapid vehicle versions TR08 and earlier, when travelling at speeds below {{Convert|80|km/h}}, the vehicle levitation system and all on-board vehicle electronics were supplied with power through physical connections to the track guideway. At vehicle speeds above {{Convert|80|km/h}}, all on-board power was supplied by recovered [[Harmonic oscillator|harmonic oscillation]] of the [[magnetic field]]s created from the track's linear stator. (Since these oscillations are parasitic, they cannot be used for vehicle propulsion). A new energy transmission system, version TR09, has since been developed for Transrapid, in which maglev vehicles now require no physical contact with the track guideway for their on-board power needs, regardless of the maglev vehicle speed. This feature helps to reduce on-going maintenance and operational costs.

In case of power failure of the track's propulsion system, the maglev vehicle can use on-board backup batteries to temporarily power the vehicle's levitation system.

===Propulsion===
The Transrapid maglev system uses a synchronous ''longstator'' [[linear motor]] for both propulsion and braking. It works like a rotating [[electric motor]] whose [[stator]] is "unrolled" along the underside of the guideway; instead of producing [[torque]] (rotation) it produces a linear force along its length. The electromagnets in the maglev vehicle which lift it also work as the equivalent of the excitation portion ([[Rotor (electric)|rotor]]) of this linear electric motor. Since the magnetic travelling field works in only one direction, if there were to be several maglev trains on a given track section, they would all travel in the same direction thereby reducing the possibility of collision between moving trains.

===Energy requirements===
The normal energy consumption of the Transrapid is approximately {{convert|50|to|100|kW}} per section for levitation and travel, and vehicle control. The [[drag coefficient]] of the Transrapid is about 0.26. The [[aerodynamic drag]] of the vehicle, which has a frontal cross section of {{Convert|16|m2|0|abbr=on}},{{Citation needed|date=May 2014}} requires a power consumption, at {{Convert|400|km/h|0|abbr=on}} or {{Convert|111|m/s|0|abbr=on}} cruising speed, given by the following formula:

<math>
P = c_w \cdot A_{\rm Front} \cdot v^3 \cdot (\mbox{density of surrounding air})/2
</math>

<math>
\begin{matrix}
P &=& 0{.}26 \cdot 16\,\mathrm{m}^2 \cdot (111\,\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s})^3 \cdot 1{.}24\,\mathrm{kg}/\mathrm{m}^3 /2 \\
P &=& 3{.}53\cdot10^6\,\mathrm{kg}\cdot\mathrm{m}^2/\mathrm{s}^3 = 3{.}53\cdot10^6\,\mathrm{N}\cdot\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s} = 3{.}53\,\mathrm{MW}
\end{matrix}
</math>

Power consumption compares favourably with other high-speed rail systems. With an efficiency of 0.85, the power required is about 4.2&nbsp;MW. Energy consumption for levitation and guidance purposes equates to approximately 1.7&nbsp;kW/t. As the propulsion system is also capable of functioning in reverse, energy is transferred back into the [[electrical grid]] during braking. An exception to this is when an emergency stop is performed using the emergency landing skids beneath the vehicle, although this method of bringing the vehicle to a stop is intended only as a last resort should it be impossible or undesirable to keep the vehicle levitating on back-up power to a natural halt.

===Market segment and historical parallels===
Compared to classical railway lines, Transrapid allows higher speeds and gradients with less weathering and lower energy consumption and maintenance needs. The Transrapid track is more flexible, and more easily adapted to specific geographical circumstances than a classical train system. Cargo is restricted to a maximum payload of {{Convert|15|t|1|lk=on|abbr=off}} per car. Transrapid allows maximum speeds of {{Convert|550|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, placing it between conventional high speed trains ({{Convert|200|–|320|km/h|0|disp=or|abbr=on}}) and air traffic ({{Convert|720|–|990|km/h|0|disp=or|abbr=on}}). The magnetic field generator, an important part of the engine being a part of the track, limits the system capacity.

From a competition standpoint, the Transrapid is a proprietary solution. The track being a part of the engine, only the single-source Transrapid vehicles and infrastructure can be operated. There is no multisourcing foreseen concerning vehicles or the highly complicated crossings and switches. Unlike classical railways or other infrastructure networks, as jointly administrated by the [[Federal Network Agency]] (Bundesnetzagentur) in Germany, a Transrapid system does not allow any direct competition.

===Ecological impact===
The Transrapid is an electrically driven, clean, high-speed, high-capacity{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} means of transport able to build up point-to-point passenger connections in geographically challenged surroundings. This has to be set in comparison with the impact on heritage and or landscape protection areas (compare [[Waldschlösschen Bridge]]). Any impact of emissions has to take into account the source of electrical energy. The reduced expense, noise and vibration of a people-only Transrapid system versus a cargo train track is not directly comparable. The reuse of existing tracks and the interfacing with existing networks is limited. The Transrapid indirectly competes for resources, space and tracks in urban and city surroundings with classical urban transport systems and high speed trains.

===Comparative costs===
====Track construction cost====
The fully elevated [[Shanghai Maglev]] was built at a cost 
of US$1.33&nbsp;billion over a length of {{convert|30.5|km}} including trains and stations. Thus the cost per km for dual track was US$43.6&nbsp;million, including trains and stations. This was the first commercial use of the technology. Since then conventional fast rail track has been mass-produced in China for between US$4.6 and US$30.8&nbsp;million per kilometer, mostly in rural areas. (See [[High-speed rail in China]]).

In 2008 Transrapid Australia quoted the [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] State Government [[Australian dollar|A$]]34 million per kilometer for dual track.<ref Name="Transrapid quote to Victorian Government">[http://210.15.220.118/ewlna_submissions/EastWestResponse_100708_ThyssenKruppTransrapidAustralia.pdf Transrapid quote to Victorian Government]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> This assumed 50% of the track was at grade and 50% was elevated. In comparison, the {{convert|47|km}} [[Regional Rail Link]] built in Victoria cost around A$5 billion, or A$105 million per kilometer, including two stations.

From the above it is not possible to say whether Transrapid or conventional fast rail track would be cheaper for a particular application.

The higher operating speed of the maglev system will result in more passengers being delivered over the same distance in a set time. The ability of the Transrapid system to handle tighter turns and steeper gradients could heavily influence a cost comparison for a particular project.

====Train purchase cost====
In 2008, Transrapid Australia quoted the [[Victoria (Australia)|Victorian]] State Government between A$16.5 million (commuter) and A$20 million (luxury) per trains section or carriage.<ref name="Transrapid quote to Victorian Government"/> Due to the {{convert|3.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}} width of the Transrapid carriages they have a floor area of about {{Convert|92|m2|0|abbr=off|sp=us}}. This works out at between A$179,000 and A$217,000 per square meter.

In comparison, [[InterCityExpress]] which are also built by [[Siemens]] cost about A$6 million per carriage. Due to the {{Convert|2.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} width of the ICE carriages they have a floor area of about {{Convert|72|m2|0|abbr=off|sp=us}}. This works out at about A$83,000 per square meter.

This shows Transrapid train sets are likely to cost over twice as much as ICE 3 conventional fast rail train sets at this time. However, each Transrapid train set is more than twice as efficient due to their faster operating speed and acceleration according to [[UK Ultraspeed]]. In their case study only 44% as many Transrapid train sets are needed to deliver the same number of passengers as conventional high-speed trains.

====Operational cost====
Transrapid claims their system has very low maintenance costs compared to conventional high speed rail systems due to the non-contact nature of their system.<ref Name="Transrapid International">[http://www.transrapid.de/cgi/en/basics.prg?session=76d1f56f4da67ae8_285873&a_no=35 Transrapid Website - Economic Efficiency] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719234220/http://www.transrapid.de/cgi/en/basics.prg?session=76d1f56f4da67ae8_285873&a_no=35 |date=2011-07-19 }}</ref>

==Implementations==

===China===
[[File:Shanghai Transrapid 002.jpg|thumb|Transrapid [[magnetic levitation]] train in Shanghai, connecting [[Longyang Road Station]] to Pudong International Airport]]
[[File:Transrapid Shanghai maglev train ride.webm|thumbtime=22|thumb|right|A full trip on a train from [[Longyang Road Station]] to [[Pudong International Airport Station]] and back]]
{{Main article|Shanghai Maglev Train}}
The only commercial implementation so far was in 2000, when the Chinese government ordered a Transrapid track to be built connecting Shanghai to its [[Pudong International Airport]].
It was inaugurated in 2002 and regular daily trips started in March 2004. The travel speed is {{Convert|431|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, which the [[Maglev train]] maintains for 50 seconds as the short, {{Convert|30.5|km|2|abbr=on}} track only allows the cruising speed to be maintained for a short time before deceleration must begin. The average number of riders per day (14 hours of operation) is about 7,500, while the maximum [[seating capacity]] per train is 440. A second class ticket price of about 50 RMB ([[renminbi]]) (about 6&nbsp;[[euro]]) is four times the price of the airport bus and ten times more expensive than a comparable underground ticket.

The project was sponsored by the German [[Hermes cover|Hermes]] loans with DM 200 million. The total cost is believed to be $1.33 billion.

{{Main article|Shanghai maglev train#Extensions}}

A planned extension of the line to [[Shanghai Hongqiao Airport]] ({{Convert|35|km|0|disp=or|abbr=on}}) and onward to the city of [[Hangzhou]] ({{Convert|175|km|0|disp=or|abbr=on}}) has been repeatedly delayed.  Originally planned to be ready for [[Expo 2010]], final approval was granted on 18 August 2008, and construction was scheduled to start in 2010 for completion in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/china/national/2008-08/18/content_16258686.htm|title=Maglev finally given approval -- china.org.cn|website=www.china.org.cn}}</ref> However the plan was cancelled, possibly due to the building of the high speed [[Shanghai–Hangzhou Passenger Railway]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.eastday.com/e/110119/u1a5677922.html |title=Eastday-Maglev link plan is suspended |access-date=2012-08-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212053442/http://english.eastday.com/e/110119/u1a5677922.html |archive-date=2013-12-12 }}</ref>Since 2020, this extension was proposed again.<ref>{{Cite news |title=沪杭超级磁浮、萧山机场综合枢纽……浙江落地了一批"超级工程" |url=https://hznews.hangzhou.com.cn/chengshi/content/2020-04/17/content_7716310.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420110235/https://hznews.hangzhou.com.cn/chengshi/content/2020-04/17/content_7716310.htm |archive-date=2020-04-20 |accessdate=2020-04-17 |work=杭州网 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Germany===
{{Main|Emsland test facility}}
The Emsland test facility was the only Transrapid track in Germany.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} It has been deactivated, and is scheduled to be disassembled. Nevertheless, there are plans to either use it as a test facility for the [[CRRC Maglev|CRRC 600]] or to reconstruct it in order to serve as a [[Hyperloop]] track.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NDR |title=Chinesischer Bahnkonzern will Transrapid-Teststrecke nutzen |url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/Chinesischer-Bahnkonzern-will-Transrapid-Teststrecke-nutzen,transrapid622.html |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=www.ndr.de |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grimm |first=Imre |date=2020-11-09 |title=Per Rohrpost in die Ferien: Sind unterirdische "Hyperloop"-Kapseln die Zukunft des Reisens? |url=https://www.rnd.de/panorama/per-rohrpost-in-die-ferien-sind-unterirdische-hyperloop-kapseln-die-zukunft-des-reisens-5CRPIUXDXJCDRPQRCAYGVRCF4M.html |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=www.rnd.de |language=de}}</ref>

==Proposed systems==
{{update|date=December 2015}}

===Iran===
In 2007, [[Iran]] and a German company reached an agreement on using maglev trains to link the cities of [[Tehran]] and [[Mashhad]]. The agreement was signed at the Mashhad International Fair site between Iranian Ministry of Roads and Transportation and the German company.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} Munich-based Schlegel Consulting Engineers said they had signed the contract with the Iranian ministry of transport and the governor of Mashad. "We have been mandated to lead a German consortium in this project," a spokesman said. "We are in a preparatory phase." The next step will be to assemble a consortium, a process that is expected to take place "in the coming months," the spokesman said. The project could be worth between 10 billion and 12 billion euros, the Schlegel spokesman said. Siemens and ThyssenKrupp, the developers of a high-speed maglev train, called the Transrapid, both said they were unaware of the proposal. The Schlegel spokesman said Siemens and ThyssenKrupp were currently "not involved" in the consortium.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/technology/100109815-1-update-2-thyssenkrupp%252C-siemens-unaware-iran.html|title=UPDATE 2-ThyssenKrupp, Siemens unaware of Iran train deal |website=Alibaba.com |date= 30 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006071945/http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/technology/100109815-1-update-2-thyssenkrupp%2C-siemens-unaware-iran.html |archive-date=Oct 6, 2020}}</ref>

===Switzerland===
In 2011 SwissRapide AG in co-operation with the SwissRapide Consortium was developing and promoting an above-ground magnetic levitation (Maglev) monorail system, based on the Transrapid technology. The first projects planned were the lines [[Bern]]–[[Zürich]], [[Lausanne]]–[[Geneva]] as well as Zürich–[[Winterthur]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.swissrapide.com/upload/dokumente/2011.03.03%20Artikel%20SwissRapide%20GHI.pdf |title= Lausanne en 10 minutes| publisher=GHI| date=3 March 2011| language=fr| access-date=20 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.swissrapide.com/upload/dokumente/NZZ_SwissRapide_Express_20_06_2009.pdf| title=In 20 Minuten von Zürich nach Bern| newspaper=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |location=Zürich | date=20 June 2009| language=de| access-date=20 May 2011}}</ref> 

=== United States ===

==== Colorado I-70 ====
Transrapid is one of a number of companies seeking to build a {{Convert|120|mi|abbr=on}} high speed transit system parallel to the [[Interstate 70 in Colorado|I-70 Interstate]] in the US state of Colorado.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.i70solutions.org/docs/reports/MagLevPresCoates02-09.pdf|title=Maglev: On-Time Travel For Colorado|access-date=6 Dec 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211193855/http://www.i70solutions.org/docs/reports/MagLevPresCoates02-09.pdf|archive-date=2013-12-11}}</ref> Submissions put forward say that maglev offers significantly better performance than rail given the harsh climate and terrain. No technology had been preferred as of November 2013, though construction was slated to begin in 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://gazette.com/colorado-springs-residents-get-look-at-proposed-rail-system/article/1509709|title=Colorado Springs residents get look at proposed Front Range rail system|date=November 21, 2013 <!-- at 9:06 am --> }}</ref>

==== Los Angeles to Las Vegas ====
{{Main article|California–Nevada Interstate Maglev}}
The California–Nevada Interstate Maglev project is a proposed 269&nbsp;mi (433&nbsp;km) line from Las Vegas, Nevada to Anaheim, California. One segment would run from Las Vegas to Primm, Nevada, with proposed service to the Las Vegas area's forthcoming Ivanpah Valley Airport. The top speed would be 310&nbsp;mph (500&nbsp;km/h).  In August 2014 the backers of the scheme were seeking to revive interest in it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canv-maglev.com/ |title=California Nevada Super Speed Train - Maglev |access-date=2009-09-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922213331/http://www.canv-maglev.com/ |archive-date=2009-09-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|journal=Las Vegas Review-Journal | title=Supporters of maglev see chance to re-enter game|date=August 30, 2014|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/supporters-maglev-see-chance-re-enter-game}}</ref>

==== Other ====
There have been several other evaluations conducted in the US, including [[Baltimore–Washington Superconducting Maglev Project|Washington, DC, to Baltimore]]; Chattanooga to Atlanta; and Pittsburgh to Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.transrapid-usa.com/images/route_USA.gif| title=Dawn of a new transportation era| publisher=Transrapid International-USA| access-date=27 March 2008| url-status=dead| archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080806150309/http%3A//www.transrapid%2Dusa.com/images/route_USA.gif| archive-date=6 August 2008}}</ref> So far [when?], no project has started construction. See l[[List of maglev train proposals#United States|ist of maglev train proposals in the United States]].

===Canary Islands===
A two line, 120-kilometers (75-mile) long system has been proposed for the island of [[Tenerife]], which is visited by five million tourists per year.  It would connect the island capital Santa Cruz in the north with Costa Adeje in the south and Los Realejos in the northwest with a maximum speed of 270&nbsp;km/h (169&nbsp;mph).  The estimated cost is €3 billion.  Transrapid has advantages over a conventional rail plans which would require 35% of its route in tunnels because of the steep terrain on the island.<ref>{{cite news|journal=Spiegel Online|title=Transrapid Revival on the Canary Islands? Berlin Pushes Industry on High-Speed Maglev Rail|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/transrapid-revival-on-the-canary-islands-berlin-pushes-industry-on-high-speed-maglev-rail-a-758348.html|date=April 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Maglev System on the Island of Tenerife|url=http://magnetbahnforum.de/phpBB2/download.php?id=108|date=October 10–13, 2011|access-date=2014-09-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623165309/http://magnetbahnforum.de/phpBB2/download.php?id=108|archive-date=2016-06-23|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Rejected systems==

===Germany===

====High-speed competition====
The Transrapid originated as one of several competing concepts for new land-based high-speed public transportation developed in Germany. In this competition, the Transrapid primarily competed with the [[InterCityExpress]] (ICE), a high-speed rail system based on "traditional" railway technology. The ICE “won” in that it was adopted nationwide in Germany, however Transrapid development continued. A number of studies for possible Transrapid lines were conducted after the ICE had entered service, including a long-distance line from Hamburg to Berlin.

====Munich link====
The most recent German Transrapid line project, and the one that came closest to being built, having previously been approved, was an airport connection track from [[München Hauptbahnhof|Munich Central Station]] to [[Munich Airport]], a {{convert|40|km|adj=on}} project.  The connection between the train station and airport was close to being built, but was cancelled on 27 March 2008 by the German government, due to a massive overrun in costs. Prior to the cancellation, the governing party, the [[Christian Social Union of Bavaria]] (CSU), faced internal and local resistance, in particular [[NIMBY|from communities along the proposed route]]. The CSU had planned to position Transrapid as an example of future technology and innovation in Bavaria. German federal transport minister [[Wolfgang Tiefensee]] announced the decision after a crisis meeting in [[Berlin]] at which industry representatives reportedly revealed that costs had risen from €1.85 billion to well over €3 billion ($4.7 billion).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3219174,00.html| title=Germany Scraps Transrapid Rail Plans| publisher=Deutsche Welle| date=27 March 2008| access-date=27 March 2008}}</ref> This rise in projected costs, however was mostly due to the cost estimates of the construction of the tunnel and related civil engineering after the designated operator [[Deutsche Bahn AG]] shifted most of the risk-sharing towards its subcontractors - and not due to the cost of the maglev technology.{{original research inline|date=December 2013}}

===United Kingdom===
The Transrapid was rejected in 2007<ref name="RailwayMagazine_Vol153_Issue1277"/><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/06/communities.china|title= China's 270mph flying train could run on London to Glasgow route if plan takes off|last= Clark|first= Andrew|date= 6 June 2005|work= [[The Guardian]]| access-date= 26 December 2008}}</ref> by the UK government for a maglev link called [[UK Ultraspeed]] between London and [[Glasgow]], via Birmingham, Liverpool/Manchester, Leeds, Teesside, Newcastle and Edinburgh.<ref name="RailwayMagazine_Vol153_Issue1277">{{cite journal|title=Government's five-year plan|journal=Railway Magazine|volume=153|issue=1277|date=September 2007|pages=6–7}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===September 2006 accident===
{{Main article|Lathen train collision}}

On 22 September 2006, a Transrapid train collided with a maintenance vehicle at {{Convert|170|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on the test track in Lathen, Germany. The maintenance vehicle destroyed the first section of the train, then lifted off the track to complete two full rotations before landing in a pile of pre-exploded debris. This was the first major accident involving a Transrapid train. The news media reported 23 fatalities and that several people were severely injured, these being the first fatalities on any maglev.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5370564.stm| work=BBC News| title=Deadly crash on German monorail| date=22 September 2006| access-date=27 March 2008}}</ref> The accident was caused by human error with the first train being allowed to leave the station before the maintenance vehicle had moved off the track. This situation could be avoided in a production environment by installing an automatic collision avoidance system.

===SMT fire accident===
On 11 August 2006, a Transrapid train running on the Shanghai Maglev Line caught fire. The fire was quickly put out by Shanghai's firefighters. It was reported that the vehicle's on-board batteries may have caused the fire.

==Alleged theft of Transrapid technology==
In April 2006, new announcements by Chinese officials planning to cut maglev rail costs by a third stirred some strong comments by various German officials and more diplomatic statements of concern from Transrapid officials. [[Deutsche Welle]] reported that the ''[[China Daily]]'' had quoted the State Council encouraging engineers to "learn and absorb foreign advanced technologies while making further innovations." The Chinese deny any technology plagiarism. The [[China Aviation Industry Corporation]] has said the new Chinese "Zhui Feng" maglev train is not dependent on foreign technology. They also claim it is much lighter than the Transrapid product and features a much more advanced design.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1982476,00.html |title=China Masters German Train Technology, Will Cut Costs| publisher=Deutsche Welle| date=28 April 2006| access-date=27 March 2008}}</ref> The "Zhui Feng" is a low speed maglev design currently in use on the [[Changsha Maglev Express]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-12-26 |title=China begins trial run of domestically manufactured magnetic levitation train |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/china-begins-trial-run-of-domestically-manufactured-magnetic-levitation-train/articleshow/50332685.cms |access-date=2024-12-20 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>

==Development history and versions==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date !! Train !! Location !! Present location !! Comments !! Top speed (km/h)
|-
|| 1969 / 1970 ? || Transrapid 01 || [[Munich]] || [[Deutsches Museum]], Munich || By [[Krauss-Maffei]]. Indoor benchtop model. Only 600&nbsp;mm long track. || 
|-
|| 6 May 1971 || [[Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm|MBB]] Prinzipfahrzeug || MBB's [[Ottobrunn]] factory (near [[Munich]]), Germany || [[Freilassing Locomotive World]] || By MBB. First passenger-carrying principle vehicle. 660 m test track. ''Prinzipfahrzeug''=principle [demonstrator] vehicle. || 90 (1971)
|-
|| 6 October 1971 || Transrapid 02 || [[Krauss-Maffei]]'s plant in [[Munich]] - [[Allach-Untermenzing|Allach]], Germany || [[Krauss-Maffei]], Munich || By Krauss-Maffei. 930 m test track which included one curve. Displayed at Paris Expo from 4 June to 9 June 1973. || 164 (October 1971)
|-
|| 16 August 1972 || Transrapid 03 || [[Munich]] || Scrapped || By Krauss-Maffei. [[Ground effect train|Air-cushion vehicle]] (ACV or [[hovercraft]]) propelled by a linear motor. The system was abandoned in 1973 due to the too high noise generation and the too large consumption. Attempts in France ([[Aérotrain]]) and in the USA ([http://www.shonner.com/aerotrain/]) led in the following years to similar decisions. 930 m test track. || 140 (September 1972)
|-
|| 1972 / 1974 ? || Erlangener Erprobungsträger (EET 01) || Southern edge of [[Erlangen]] (near [[Nuremberg]]), Germany || ? || By [[Siemens]] and others. Electrodynamic suspension (EDS) (like [[JR-Maglev]]). Unmanned. 880 m circular track. ''Erlangener Erprobungsträger''=Erlangen test carrier. || 160 / 230 (1974) ?
|-
|| 20 December 1973 || Transrapid 04 || Munich - Allach, Germany || [[Technik Museum Speyer]] || By Krauss-Maffei. || 250 (end 1973), 253.2 (21 November 1977)
|-
|| 1974 / January 1975 ? || Komponentenmeßträger (KOMET) || [[Manching]], Germany || near Lathen in a barn || By MBB. Unmanned. 1300 m track. || 401.3 (1974)
|-
|| 1975 || HMB1 || [[Thyssen-Henschel|Thyssen Henschel]] in [[Kassel]], Germany || ? || By [[Thyssen-Henschel|Thyssen Henschel]]. First functional longstator vehicle. 100 m guideway. Unmanned. ||
|-
|| 1976 || HMB2 || Thyssen Henschel in [[Kassel]], Germany || Technik-Museum, [[Kassel]] || By Thyssen Henschel. World's first passenger-carrying, longstator vehicle. 100 m guide-way. || 36 (or 40 ?)
|-
|| 17 May 1979 || Transrapid 05 || [[:de:Internationale Verkehrsausstellung|International Transportation Exhibition]] (IVA 79) in [[Hamburg]]. Reassembled in [[Kassel]] in 1980. || Technik-Museum, [[Kassel]] || 908 m track. || 75
|-
|| June 1983 || Transrapid 06 || [[Emsland test facility|Transrapid Versuchsanlage Emsland]] (TVE), Germany || A part is in [[Deutsches Museum]] at Bonn, other part in Lathen || Presented to public in [[Munich]] on 13 March 1983. 31.5&nbsp;km track. || 302 (1984), 355 (1985), 392 (1987), 406 (1987), 412.6 (January 1988)
|-
|| 1988 || Transrapid 07 || Transrapid Versuchsanlage Emsland (TVE), Germany || A part is at Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum (since 2024), the other part still resides in Lathen || Presented to public at the International Transportation Exhibition (IVA 88) in Hamburg. || 436 (15 December 1989),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transrapid - Geschichte/Zukunft |url=http://ddi.cs.uni-potsdam.de/HyFISCH/Veranstaltungen/InfoWettbewerb/2000/beitraege/preis2/11/Eisenbahn/RapidGeschichte.html |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=ddi.cs.uni-potsdam.de}}</ref> 450 (17 June 1993)
|-
|| August 1999 || Transrapid 08 || Transrapid Versuchsanlage Emsland (TVE), Germany || One ending section destroyed 22 September 2006 in [[2006 Lathen maglev train accident|accident]], remaining middle and ending section are stored in Lathen || ||
|-
|| 2002 || Transrapid SMT || [[Shanghai Maglev Train]], China || Shanghai, China || slightly modified version of the Transrapid 08|| 501,5 (12 November 2003)
|-
|| 2007 || Transrapid 09 || Transrapid Versuchsanlage Emsland (TVE), Germany || Kemper Factory in Nortrup || Offered for sale in October 2016<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vebeg.de/web/de/verkauf/suchen.htm?SHOW_AUS=1643270&SHOW_LOS=1&nolistlink=1| title=Magnetschwebebahn "ThyssenKrupp" Transrapid 09 best. aus| language=de| access-date=7 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vebeg.de/images/lospics/70/1643270.001.pdf |title= Tender 1643270 |language= de,en |access-date= 7 Oct 2016 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161009152447/http://www.vebeg.de/images/lospics/70/1643270.001.pdf |archive-date= 2016-10-09 }}</ref>  Five years after the shutdown of the Transrapid pilot plant Emsland in 2011, the Kemper family, the owners of H. Kemper GmbH & Co. KG, purchased the Transrapid 09 for €200,001. In September 2017, it was erected on the company premises in Nortrup. The three sections of the train is then  used as conference and exhibition space for the history of the Transrapid. Hermann Kemper, the inventor of the maglev train, came from the same family as the owners of the sausage and meat products manufacturer Kemper.||
|}

== Company ==
{{Infobox company
| name = Transrapid International GmbH & Co. KG
| logo = Logo of Transrapid International GmbH & Co. KG.svg
| industry = [[Rolling stock]]
| founded = 1998
| defunct = 2008
| owner = {{Plain list|
* [[Siemens]]
* [[ThyssenKrupp]]
}}
| website = {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060202005301/http://www.transrapid.de/|title=transrapid.de}}
}}

'''Transrapid International GmbH & Co. KG''' was a company between 1998 and 2008 to develop the Transrapid.

==See also==
{{Portal|Trains}}
* [[Land speed record for railed vehicles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Transrapid}}
* {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060202005301/http://www.transrapid.de/|title=Official website}}

{{Transrapid}}
{{ThyssenKrupp}}
{{High-speed rail}}
{{High-speed rail experimental}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Electrodynamics]]
[[Category:Experimental and prototype high-speed trains]]
[[Category:High-speed trains of Germany]]
[[Category:Land speed record rail vehicles]]
[[Category:Maglev]]
[[Category:Magnetic propulsion devices]]
[[Category:Siemens products]]