No timetable for the Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev line

    China's central government approved the building of the Shanghai-Hanghzou maglev track in March.

    It is generally believed that the line would operating by 2010,when Shanghai plays host to the World Expo. Such a tight timetablecertainly gives the German side an advantage in the talks.

    Chai Xianlong, an official with the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Development Planning, acknowledges, however, that theState Council has only approved a feasibility study of the line.

    The study may conclude that the line is not feasible, he said.

    Both Chai and the Tongji University expert confirmed that a deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission has said that the line needn't have to be completed before the World Expo.

    Germany may have much to lose

    Chai said delaying the deal is not necessarily good for the German investors.

    He said maglev technology may prove not so difficult to master,pointing out that there are several Chinese firms in Zhejiang alone that are building experimental maglev lines.

    Several other Chinese cities are also building or planning their own maglev lines.

    Chai said that there are two alternatives to the proposed Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev line. One is using a high-speed railway system, that would add only four minutes to the 28 minute trip by a maglev train.And the other alternative is to use lower-speed maglev technologies developed by China. Enditem