A TEAM led by the China Academy of Engineering has been conducting a prefeasibility study on a high-speed magnetic levitation (maglev) line in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to a senior rail expert.

The team agreed that the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong maglev line will be underground, using maglev trains with a designed maximum speed of 600 kilometers per hour, said He Huawu, vice president of the China Academy of Engineering, while delivering a keynote speech during the opening ceremony at the 2019 World Transport Convention in Beijing on June 14.

Experts proposed preliminary plans for the alignment of the maglev line. A map of the project’s progress displayed during his speech outlined four alternatives, which will pass Guangzhou Railway Station or Zhujiang New Town in Guangzhou, or Qianhai or Futian District in Shenzhen.

“The team will take into account all kinds of high-speed maglev models, such as high- and low-temperature superconducting maglevs as well as air-free tubes and other key issues, to decide the technical and economic feasibility,” he said.

In February, the Central Government issued the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, calling for a rapid intercity transport network that includes high-speed railways and intercity rail links to reduce travel time among major cities within the area to one hour or less.

Explaining why the team is considering using maglev technology to improve the Greater Bay Area’s transport, He noted that maglev is the future of ultrafast trains. (China Daily)