The city already has shown a flair for public works projects. In the past five years, Shanghai has built a subway, expressways, a new financial district and a tunnel under the Huangpu River. Still, it isn't clear how China could capitalize on maglev even if its builders share their research. The technology has yet to win a commercial customer. And engineers say it is so revolutionary that it is unlikely to advance other work on power generation, electronics or weapons.
Maglev also faces growing competition from traditional rail systems.
Trains from France, Japan and Germany itself are offering increasing speed and an impressive safety record that counts only a single fatal crash since the first Shinkansen pulled out of Tokyo Station in 1964. The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Now, Shanghai is buying into that dream. The city is contemplating building the world's first commercial magnetic levitation train, hoping to add to its high-tech luster by becoming a showcase for the costly, controversial ''maglev'' technology.