HANGZHOU - Officials in east China's Zhejiang Province have ruled out this year for starting construction of a maglev train service between the provincial capital, Hangzhou, and Shanghai.

A statement from the provincial development and reform commission Tuesday said the project had no timetable and was still undergoing feasibility studies.

Media this week reported construction was expected to start this year.

The commission statement said project proposal was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2006.

The planned ultra-high-speed maglev line, with an estimated total cost of 22 billion yuan (3.22 billion US dollars), will be approximately 200 km long.

It would shorten travel time between Shanghai and Hangzhou to half an hour from the current 2 to 2.5 hours.

China already has one 32-km maglev line operating connecting Shanghai's Pudong New Area with Shanghai Pudong Airport.