CONSTRUCTION has begun in China on the first phase of a 48.7km maglev line between Changsha and Liuyang in Hunan province.
The project is described as China’s first inter-city maglev line and will have a top speed of 160km/h. It will connect with the existing 18.55km maglev that runs from Changsha South railway station to Changsha Huanghua International Airport, which operates at a top speed of 140km/h and opened in 2016. This line is served by a fleet of five three-car trains built by CRRC Zhuzhou.
The inter-city project is split into two phases. The first 39.5km section from Changsha Huanghua International Airport to Jili will be built by Sinohydro Engineering Bureau 8, a subsidiary of Power Construction Corporation of China. It is expected to cost Yuan 10.44bn ($US 1.45bn) and will open in 2029.
Upon completion, the new line is expected to cut journey times between Changsha and Liuyang by half and will integrate the city into the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan city cluster, helping to promote regional development.
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