SHANGHAI MAGLEV - A LONG HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SHANGHAI 000018 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/CM, EEB/TPP/IPE DOC FOR ITA/MAC - DAS KASOFF, MELCHER, MCQUEEN, COUCH, LEHRMAN TREASURY FOR OASIA- DOHNER/HAARSAGER/CUSHMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV ETRD ELTN KIPR ELAB PHUM CH SUBJECT: SHANGHAI MAGLEV - A LONG HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for dissemination outside USG channels; not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Shanghai's magnetic levitation train (Maglev),has not only been costly in financial terms but is now costing the city the support of many of its residents. On January 13, Shanghai residents staged a large-scale demonstration against the proposed extension of the Maglev train line that would cut through the heart of the city. Septel will provide a report on the protests. The protests are part of a long controversy surrounding the Maglev train since the first link between Pudong International Airport and Longyang Station was completed in 2004. The city is now gearing up to connect the city's two airports via Maglev with a stop at the 2010 World Expo site. Plans to extend the line to as far away as Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province are also back on the books. End Summary. Controversy Not New -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Controversy has surrounded the Maglev since its initial planning began in March 2001 and public debut in January ¶2004. Since the opening, there has been significant local criticism that the project was wasteful, delivering no practical benefit to residents. The current line only runs between Pudong International Airport and Longyang Station, located in a suburban area of the Pudong District in Shanghai. The station is far from the city's downtown area, so a taxi or subway ride is still inevitable. As a result, the Maglev has simply turned into a sightseeing ride for most people; very few travelers consistently use it get to or from Pudong International Airport. Although the price is relatively low, commuters are still put off by the inconvenient location of Longyang Station. A one-way ticket on the Maglev costs RMB 50 (USD 7),while the average cost of taxi ride of the same distance is around RMB 90 (USD 12.50). ¶3. (SBU) In financial terms, the Maglev has also not lived up to city officials' hopes. The annual ticket income is approximately RMB 100 million (USD 13.8 million),leaving the remaining bill for the city to foot. On top of the initial price tag of 10 billion RMB (USD 1.4 billion) to complete the 19-mile track, 5,000 people and two factories had to be relocated for the construction. Part of the cost went to pay over RMB 800 million (USD 104 million) for residents to relocate. According to media reports, the financial losses from the Maglev during the last three years was over RMB 1 billion (USD 139 million). The Cost of Giving Shanghai Face -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In January 2006, the Shanghai Urban Planning Administration Bureau caused more shock waves when it announced an extension to Hongqiao Airport via Shanghai South Railway Station and the 2010 World Expo site at an estimated cost of at over USD 1.5 billion. The line would allow transfers between the airports, which are located 55 km apart (about 34 miles),in about 15 minutes. In addition, a Maglev link would be added from the Hongqiao Airport stretching to Zhejiang Province's capital city, Hangzhou - another 175 kilometers away. The Shanghai Government argued the extension would boost the overall function and usage of the Maglev. However, the plan immediately met with heavy opposition from local citizens. In addition, the project quickly became bogged down in a cost disagreement and technology ownership dispute. The Shanghai Government and Transrapid International, the German maglev company owned by Siemens and ThyssenKrupp, began squabbling extensively over the price for using the technology to extend the line. Shanghai tried to drive a hard bargain with Transrapid, arguing that as the only implementer of the technology, it actually has the know-how and expertise that Transrapid needs. Transrapid International argued the technology still remained their property. ¶5. (SBU) However, after the September 2006 sacking of Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Liangyu, who was criticized inter alia for overambitious infrastructure projects (misuse of social security SHANGHAI 00000018 002 OF 003 funds was the proximate and most important cause of Chen's removal),city officials suspended the extension of the Maglev. Chen had originally proposed two major infrastructure projects in Shanghai before the 2010 World Expo: the Shanghai Star, the world's biggest ferries wheel and the Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev line. Many people believed these projects had no impact on their quality of life but were simply "face projects" to improve the image of Shanghai. When Chen's successor, Xi Jinping, took office, he immediately moved to scrap the two projects. He announced three new policies on Shanghai's potential infrastructure master plan: all qualified projects must be completed before the 2010 World Expo; all projects must utilize current resources; and any project that may cause societal instability should be suspended. The Resurrection of Maglev Extension -------------- ¶6. (SBU) After the October 2007 appointment of Xi Jinping to the Politburo Standing Committee in Beijing, Shanghai quietly put the extension to Hongqiao Airport back on track in December. This time the project, with slight revisions from the original plan, will stretch 31.8 kilometers. It now includes "detours" away from residential areas as much as possible. The decision put the city once again at odds with local residents who fear the perceived exposure to radiation and noise. Residents also fret that the Maglev will depress the value of their homes. As a result, many have taken to the street, protesting the government's renewal of the project (septel). Health Effects and Land Prices - The Hidden Costs -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Maglev technology is based on electromagnetic force, which emits low levels of radiation when in operation. In addition, the high speed train produces a thundering sound and vibration as it passes by. To reduce these effects on local residents, the Shanghai Government has planned a 25 meter (82 feet) "isolation area" between residential areas and the Maglev. Anyone within these areas will be compensated to relocate. However, many of the residents who are just outside this area are protesting that they should receive compensation as well. There has been discussion of extending the area to 100 meters (330 feet). However, with Shanghai real-estate prices skyrocketing, the government is now equivocating on whether the additional space is actually needed. Hangzhou Also Back on Track -------------- ¶8. (SBU) In a January 7 meeting with CODEL Clyburn, Deputy Director for Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Corporation (the Shanghai Government enterprise which administers the Maglev) Wang Tianxiang said that the Shanghai and Zhejiang Provincial Government are once again working on extending the line to Hangzhou. Wang acknowledged that the cost of extending the line at USD 5.6 million per kilometer is still an issue. However, he believed with the areas vast population, and the affordable price, ridership would not be an issue - especially since the travel time between Shanghai and Hangzhou would be reduced to 28 minutes (currently 1 hour and 40 minutes by the newly built bullet train). Wang also estimated the cost of a one-way ticket to Hangzhou would be RMB 100 (USD 14),which he believe would attract riders since the cost of road current road tolls alone is RMB 90 (USD 12.50). However, he also noted the same problems of noise and radiation within 25 meters of the train in the densely populated corridor. The Shanghai and Zhejiang Governments are planning on relocating and compensating citizens affected along this lengthy route as well. ¶9. (SBU) Regional integration is also on the minds of local governments as they push forward the Maglev extension to Hangzhou. As the travel time decreases, planners believe business people, vacationers, and daily commuters will avail themselves of the service as well as strengthen the economic ties between the two cities. However, opposition voices said these cities are already well connected economically without the SHANGHAI 00000018 003 OF 003 Maglev train. There are also concerns that Shanghai's over-the-top housing prices will spill over to Hangzhou as the city turns into Shanghai's "backyard garden." Real estate experts predict as an increasing number of Shanghai residents purchase property in Hangzhou, it will further pump up real estate price there that have already climbed over 10 percent in the past year. Maglev Trivia -------------- ¶10. (U) Magnetic levitation transport suspends and propels trains via electromagnetic force. Trains using this technology can reach velocities comparable to turboprop and jet aircraft (500km/h). Instead of using fossil fuels, the magnetic field created by the electrified coils in the guide way wall and the tracks combine to propel the train. Shanghai's Maglev train was made in Germany with German technology by Transrapid International. The line is operated by Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Corporation, and the train can reach 352 kilometers (220 mph) in 2 minutes, with a maximum speed in normal operation of 431 km/hr (269 mph). It is currently the fastest magnetic levitation train in the world. The ride from Pudong Airport to Longyang Station takes 7 minutes and 20 seconds compared to the drive time of roughly 45 minutes. Since its start, the Maglev has clocked over 4.6 million kilometers, and transported almost 1.4 million passengers. It also has been accident free; however, there was a small fire on August 11, 2006, which officials later attributed to a faulty battery casing. There were no casualties reported. JARRETT