Sources from Shanghai say that construction of the main line project of China's first commercial maglev (magnetic levitation) rail train, which is undertaken by the China Railway 16th Engineering Group Corporation and Shanghai Construction Group, has lately kicked off in Shanghai's Pudong New Area.

At a cost of 8.9 billion yuan, the 29.863-km main line project, with a designed speed of 430 km/h, is scheduled to be completed and put into in operation in March 2003.

(People’s Daily 06/12/2001)