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Will China again be the first application for a new German maglev system? The chances are good for Transport System Bögl (TSB). After the Transrapid, which marked the start of maglev technology in China as the Shanghai Maglev Train SMT, it would be the second German maglev system to be used in China.
There are currently four maglev lines in China. A fifth maglev system is due to go into operation soon. This puts the country well ahead. Japan has two active systems, but one of them is only in operation on a section. South Korea also has a system, the Ecobee. Germany has a disused line in Emsland and Max Bögl’s own test track.
The first phase between Max Bögl and China has now been completed and new contracts have been signed for the next steps. The company announced this am 24. Juli anHowever, Notebookcheck asked again for further details.
According to the company, the first phase consisted of the “delivery of the track supports including the equipment parts (reaction rails, conductor rails, etc.), a 3-section vehicle, a Y-segment switch, production facilities and several test, demonstration and acceptance runs.” The interesting thing is the Y-switch. This has already been installed on the 3.5-kilometer test track in Chengdu and is located in front of the maintenance hall, according to Bögl. Bögl also supplied documentation to China.
Comprehensive cooperation
The cooperation goes quite far. The Chinese partner Xinzhu Road & Bridge Machinery Co. Ltd. has also learned how to build TSB vehicles. So far, two vehicles have been built locally and are already in use on the test track.
The next step is to be a so-called application route for passenger transport, i.e. a real application beyond the test operation. Several contracts have been signed for this. A new company has been founded in China for this purpose, Sichuan Development Maglev Technologies, a sister company of Xinzhu Road & Bridge Machinery.
The contracts stipulate that China can build the vehicles for the Bögl transport system. Max Bögl, in turn, will supply the track supports from Germany. The test track will continue to be used, for example for testing new vehicles or for demonstrations and further developments, says Bögl.
Faster than Chinese mass transit maglev trains
The Bögl transport system can compete well with the Chinese maglev systems, as TSB is currently the fastest local transport system using maglev technology. In test runs it reached 181 km/h. In regular operation it reaches 150 km/h with high acceleration, low-vibration operation and good performance on inclines and curves. TSB is therefore significantly faster than the other four local maglev systems in China.
The 430 km/h Shanghai Maglev Train must be left out of consideration here, as this is actually a long-distance rail system. China wants to develop slower trains from the Transrapid that will then travel at around 300 km/h. The application scenario would then be more for regional transport.
However, it is still unclear when and where the first TSB route will be built. Max Bögl remains diplomatic and leaves open whether the first TSB system will be built in practice in Germany or China. Anyone who observes the German development will notice, however, that China is now well ahead in TSB construction. The then CSU Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer had actually already started commissioning studies in 2020 to implement it both generally and as a TSB People Mover at Munich Airport to consider.
However, the completion of the studies was delayed. Instead of one year, it took almost two years to complete. Despite promising results, the Munich project disappeared. Currently, there are only rough plans for Berlin and Nuremberg, which are nowhere near as advanced as the abandoned and modeled scenarios (including track lengths, switches and planned stations) in Munich.
