270 mph train makes debut

Sleek, silvery and ready to fly, Shanghai’s 270-mph magnetic-levitation train began its daily commercial operation today, shooting out of its station amid high hopes for better – and much more expensive – commuting.

The opening came a year and a day after German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder visited Shanghai for the maiden voyage of the German-built project.

The first train today pulled out from Longyang Station with 10 passengers aboard for the seven-minute 18-mile journey to Pudong International Airport.

The price of an economy seat is 75 yuan (€7.19), and VIP seats cost 150 yuan (€14.39). Trains will run every 20 minutes daily.

Security guards stood by at the entrance. Passengers were required to go through airport-style security to board. Digital signs monitored the speed for passengers.

Based on German technology, the 3800 train connects Shanghai to its three-year-old airport, the city’s second.

The system underwent nearly a year of testing since it made an inaugural experimental run on December 31, 2002, carrying Schroeder and former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji. More than 200,000 people have ridden the train in weekend tet runs since then.