Since 1988 at Hamburg and 1995 at Bremen, a Maglev conference took place in Germany for the third time. In the year of the 800-year-old city jubilee in Dresden, Maglev 2006 was carried out together with the 6th Transrapid Specialist Conference from University of Technology Dresden under the direction of Prof. Dr. Schach. The international organisation lay in the hands of Prof. Eisuke Masada (Tokyo University of Science) and Michael Witt (from Dornier Consult).
The symposium also got support from Verband der Deutschen Eisenbahningenieure VDEI (association of the German railway engineers). It was represented by a by an information booth and a speech of the Dr. Bernd Neumann who leeds the working group Magnet Suspension Train. Robert Gellekum, Friedrich Wilhelm Merck and Michael Dittmer from GFM-eV were present – at least at times. More than 350 experts from 17 countries, primarily Germany, Japan, China, and the USA, had appeared in the newly built International Congress Centre.
Prof. Masada pointed in the greeting words to the successful operation of maglev systems at Shanghai (Transrapid) and Nagoya (HSST, since Expo 2005) during last two years with more than 30 million passengers. In his eyes, maglev train is the leading transportation system, wich fulfils social requirements of 21st century.
Governments Assistant Secretary Grossmann pointed to the prominent importance of the appliance of the magnet trajectory technology in Germany. Thus the industrial-political effect of the national appliance seems substantial. Already on the past Transrapid Specialist Conference the investiagation presented by Prof. Baum got, in the meantime, to the result that for each invested euro a return trace 2.50 euros can be expected. Part of this, alone one Euro is the industrial-political benefit. Until then it was gone out from a traffic-politically conditioned use costs ratio of 1.5.
Governments Assistant Secretary Dr. Staupe pointed out, that Saxony was originator of more significant traffic-technical ideas and their realization – e.g. from Friedrich List – located at the intersection of more substantially European economic and commercial ways in the 19th century. Nowadays there is the investigation of the Pan-European corridor in which also the application of maglev technology is a favoured option and reported about Prof. Fengler in the wider course of the conference.
The former Minister of Finance Eichel pointed to the clear advantages of the Transrapid train and besides, he mentioned the Transrapid train technology in a not quite indisputable wording as "technology after the wheel technology". It has in his eyes in Germany only a chance where urgently new trajectory routes must be built. He voted vehemently for the building of the first maglev application in Munich.
After that ministerial conductor Mr. von Randow pointed that German Government will position itself to the demands of traffic by the extension of the European Union. As a main focus, traffic turntables for the export, i.e. seaports / airports, should be equipped with performant inflows and outflows.
Commander Wu expressed the expectation that the planned extension of the existing Transrapid track to Hangzhou allows to grow together the regions of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Shanghai to a (global) city and that it also allows to operate the maglev train as a high-speed long-distance train.
In the first professional talk Mr. K Sawada reported about the situation of the development of the Japanese Maglev on the Yamanashi test track. The vehicles will be equipped with high-level temperature supraconductor magnet (HTS). An extension of the test track of 18.4 km nowadays on 40 km is planned.
Bavarian ministerial conductor Mr. Wellner reported about the actual state of the maglev project at Munich and about "quite not so bad" opinion poll results (about the technology). He came on the running negotiations between Federal Government and the Bavarian State Government. He expressed the expectation that the Federal Government will be ready to increase the portion in the financing of the maglev track on account of the additional industrial-political benefit of a maglev application.
Dr. Keil reported from point of view of the Deutsche Bahn Magnetbahn GmbH road about the forecasts of airline passenger's numbers at the Munich airport, presented measures to the noise and vibration prevention and. He also resented the actual roadmap. From November 2006 to January 2007 the the private hearing procedure will be take place, In February 2007 the final document will be be provided. The project approval decision should will occur in summer or fall 2007.
The vice-president of Siemens Transportation Systems presented mega trends in the city and demography development and derived from them the necessity to create fast connections between airports and urbane regions with the help of maglev trains
Dr. Atzpodien from Thyssen Krupp reported about application fields for the Transrapid train. In 2040, Transrapid train would have gained more than three billion Euros compared with one billion Euros of costs by a start in 2010 with the link to Munich airport. It would reach economical turnover before 2028. This applies with an annual increase of the operating expenses of 3%, an annual wage increase of 1.5% and construction of the track by the public authorities. Under the same conditions a fast city railroad would reach economical turnover only in 2030 and would have accumulated a deficit of 200 million Euros 10 years later.
Dr. Kerkloh from the Flughafen München GmbH (Munich Airport Ltd.) presented forecasts about the traffic development at and around the airport. 55.8 million airline passengers and 610 airplane movements are expected in 2020. On the motorway A9 and A92 between Munich and the airport between 135000 and 196000 vehicles will drive after a 8-lane extension. This will exceed the normal capacity of 130000 vehicles per day.
Mr. König from Swiss Rapide Express GmbH presented the project about a 135 km (95 miles) long maglev link between Zürich and Bern with operating speeds up to 550 kph (355mph) im and 3 minutes timetable tact. Traveling time will be reduced from 56 to 20 minutes. Construction Costs are estimated within a range from 4,7 to 5,7 billion Euros. The project will be financed by a syndicate to which also research facilities and investment organizations belong.
Dr. Allan James talked about the UK Ultraspeed Project. Its target is a link between all British cities and airports with appeds up to 500kph (312mph). The domestic air traffic should be stopped almost completely. Mr. Allen summed up a comparison of maglev with a wheel-rail solution:
"UK Ultraspeed: Does more – costs less" and "TGV-style rail: Does less – costs more".
All together the 124 15-minutes-talks (from 133 submitted manuscripts) covered the following subjects:
- Development, projects and operational experiences
- New ideas
- Vehicles and floating, leading
- Security and company leading technology
- Impulse, linear engine and energy supply
- Driving way and infrastructure
- Economics, planning and feasibility studies
Next MAGLEV conference will take place on december, 15th-18th 2008 at San Diego, California.