Shanghai maglev train project still under discussion

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-18 11:23

SHANGHAI -- The magnetic levitation train project linking two airports in Shanghai is still under experts' discussion and appraisal, Mayor Han Zheng told a press conference in Shanghai Saturday.

The 31.8-km maglev train line, linking the two international airports in Pudong and Hongqiao, is part of the infrastructure network in Shanghai, Han said.

However, the construction was shelved in May 2007 due to radiation concerns from residents living near the railway. The project met with fierce opposition last year.

"Experts from the country have been evaluating the project since last year," Han said.

He promised the government would solicit public opinions when the experts produced a conclusion.

Construction of another much-discussed maglev railway in the neighboring Zhejiang Province, which connects the provincial capital Hangzhou and Shanghai, also encountered residents' opposition.

The provincial government announced in August last year that the construction would go ahead in 2010, three years later than the original construction schedule.