China's 'Floating' Train Viewed as Effective Mobilization Dynamo

Liputan6.com, Jakarta What is the definition of progress? What can justify a nation’s development progress? Is it improved political system? Is it the continually growing economy towards positive trend? There are many ways to explain a country’s progress.

What most countries set as the barometer of progress however, is the blatant evidence of infrastructure development. A nation with vast population and areas to explore needs such development because it is the instrument that connects one to another.

Land route is no longer the only option for people to travel with as now, countries such as China has already facilitated its general population with a technologically advanced train called ‘Maglev’ or magnetically levitated trains which relies on the usage of magnetic field to lift up the train so it floats instead of operating attached to its railway.

It has given a ‘flying’ sensation for some people, differentiating it from any other ordinary train available.

China is a big country whose population continues to grow and that land mode of transportation will soon face problem, with its limited capacitation, to accommodate the continually growing mobilization in the country.

With the presence of technologically advanced mode of transportation of Maglev, then the mobilization from one spot to another can be done in a largely effective and efficient manner.

Furthermore, the government has attempted to create a consoling environment by designing its inside architecture with the most comforting display so that passengers can enjoy the trip.

The train was firstly introduced and applied in the industrial sector in the mid half of the 20^th century and now has gained prominence with its speed recorded to be 600 km/hours.

The ‘floating’ train surely invites fascination elsewhere, especially to NASA who is reported to have been conducting a research upon ‘Maglev’ system and testing it whether or not it is compatible enough to launch the space shuttle.

Magnetic railway surely costs a lot of money and so up to this year, there are only 2 Maglev lanes available for public transportation. One is the transrapid in Shanghai, China and the other one is Japan called Linimo.

The train in Shanghai starts operating on the first of April 2003 with its maximum speed of 430 km/hours, close enough to the speed of an airplane on air.

The normal speed used by machinist in Shanghai China however, is only at 300 km/hours. Each Maglev train is capable of carrying as many as 574 passengers and will stop every 15 minutes in each station and cost about 50 yuan for each trip.

Watch the video below to witness Liputan6.com correspondent journey in using Maglev train to travel from Shanghai to Pudong International Airport in only 8 minutes: