The Changsha Maglev Express ( zh, s=长沙磁浮快线, t=長沙磁浮快線, p=Chángshā cífú kuàixiàn), also known as Line S2, is a medium-low speed

magnetic levitation Magnetic levitation (maglev) or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is levitation (physics), suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Lorentz force, Magnetic force is used to counteract the effects of the gravitation ...

, or ''

maglev Maglev (derived from '' magnetic levitation'') is a system of rail transport whose rolling stock is levitated by electromagnets rather than rolled on wheels, eliminating rolling resistance. Compared to conventional railways, maglev trains h ...

'' line in

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

, China. This is China's second maglev line, after Shanghai Maglev, and the first domestically built maglev line, which uses indigenous technology. The line stretches over and runs between Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Langli station and the high-speed railway station

Changsha South railway station Changsha South railway station () is a metro station and a railway station of Wuguang Passenger Railway and Hukun Passenger Railway. The station is located in Lituo Subdistrict, Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan, China. It is a hub and the conn ...

. The original rolling stock was designed for a speed of up to but operated with a maximum speed of . In July 2021 the new model entered service operating at a top speed of , which reduced the travel time by three minutes.

History

Construction started in May 2014, trial running on 26 December 2015, and finally start trial operations on 6 May 2016. Since the beginning of construction in May 2014, the project has received an estimated investment of 4.6 billion yuan ($749 million). A extension of the line is currently under construction, to connect to the under construction Terminal 3 on the east side of the airport. The extension will be elevated for and underground for . Two underground stations are planned for the extension. Construction started on 25 April 2021.

Opening timeline

Stations

File: Maglev construction 1.jpg, Maglev track under construction in front of Changsha Huanghua International Airport (2015) File: Maglev construction 2.jpg, Maglev track under construction along the airport highway (2015) File: Changsha Maglev Express Huanghua Airport Staion.jpg, Platform of Huanghua Airport Station (2016) File: Changsha Maglev Express Train Interior.jpg, Interior of Changsha Maglev train (2016)

Operating hours

The first train departs from Huanghua Airport station or Changsha South railway station at 7:00am. The last train leaves Changsha South railway station at 10:00pm or Huanghua Airport station at 10:30pm. The current service interval is 11 minutes 40 seconds and each train completes the whole journey in 19 minutes 30 seconds.

References

{{Rapid transit in Asia Rail transport in Hunan Maglev Railway lines opened in 2016 2016 establishments in China Airport rail links in China Monorail lines Monorails in China