Transrapid - biggest german misplanning?

What's the Transrapid?

The Transrapid is a German developed high-speed monorail that is using magnetic levitation. Through it's system it can reach speeds up to 311 mph(500 km/h). Since it was a prototyp it never really went commercial, with one exception I'll later explain, and only drove on a test track in Germany, Emsland.

Transrapid on the test facility in Emsland, Germany.

Map Overview of the test facility.

When has the development of the train started?

Planning of a track with this monorail-system started in 1969 and the first train actually moving was the "Transrapid 02" in 1971(max. speed 101 mph). Through the years the train was more and more enhanced, so the "Transrapid 07" was able to reach a maximum speed of 280 mph (450km/h) in 1993.

Issues and final failure of the project

The Transrapid had to deal with some big issues. First of all the prize. The project was absorbing a lot of money. In the end it almost swallowed 2 billion euros. And there was a big missanticipation of the whole project. The engineers thought the high-speed train would close a gap in the common transportation system between the plane and car, but it was'nt. France gave the best example, once their own developed high-speed train reached 310 mph(500km/h) - on rails.

TGV from 1990.

And then it happened, the death of the project. The project managed to run over nearly 35 years, with big problems and a poor result for the time, money and effort put into it. But on the 22th September in 2006 the "Transrapid 08" had a bad accident on a test run with visitors on board. It crashed in a repair construction from workes, that currently worked on the monorail, with 100mph(162km/h). 22 people died and the complete first section of the train was destroyed. This was the end for the project, due to the bad economical situation and unfinished poject.

Crash scene on the 22th September in 2006.

But there is still a train running in Shanghai?

Yes, indeed. It is the only facility that works and transports passengers till today! More than 27 million people traveled with it! But it's situation is'nt the best. They also have to face problems with this so expensive train system and are'nt making much profit with it.

Transrapid Shanghai.

To conclude I can say that there was way to much effort about this project, so they could'nt face the real problem, that this system is'nt suitable for that time(forever). It is a pretty interesting construction and maybe a masterpiece of engineering, but they thought too big.

I hope you enjoyed my first post! Feel free to like or comment below. :) (I would appreciate it!)

Greetings Till.