2006•MAGLEV'2006: The 19th International Conference on Magnetically Levitated Systems and Linear DrivesTransrapid International GmbH und Company KGMax Bogl Bauunternehmung GmbH und Company KGDeutsche Bahn AGIABG mbHNexans Deutschland GmbHDornier Consulting GmbHRequires access
Transrapid Maglev System – Fields of Application
Hans-Christoph Atzpodien
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Abstract
The development of the Transrapid System was carried out to offer a more effective and attractive means of transport with the potential to close the gap between modern railway and air transport. The basic idea was to expand the field of application for track bound systems. Mainly the following arguments were discussed: (1) substitution of road traffic and short haul air traffic (higher safety, less energy consumption and minimization of the impacts on environment) (2) increase of transport volumes of railway feeder lines (integration of the maglev system in railway stations and airports to achieve interconnectivity). In the last decades, however, in Germany priority was given to a gradual technical improvement of the wheel on rail system to achieve a remarkable change of the modal split. It has to be recognized, that despite of optimistic expectations the trend of a falling market share of the railway is still ongoing. To reverse this trend, it is vital, to make track bound systems attractive by offering an excellent standard of safety and service to the passengers as well as enabling adequate returns for the operator. The fulfillment of these requirements and subsequently a successful turnaround towards an increasing market share is possible, if the following features are available and applicable: (1) short headways; highest punctuality and safety (2) good adaptability allowing close bundling with existing infrastructure (highways, railway tracks) as well as cost effective track design due to favorable alignment parameters and simple adjustment of the guide way elevation to local requirements (3) fully automated operation and maintenance (4) application of automated gateways and ticketing by smart cards. The Transrapid system design and development was based on respective requirements and its characteristics fulfill these requirements in their entirety. Consequently an integration of Transrapid lines in a transport network leads to its improvement with respect to attractiveness and economic efficiency.