Shanghai Maglev TR08

The Shanghai Maglev TR08, also known as the Shanghai Maglev Train or Shanghai Transrapid, is a high-speed maglev trainset developed by Transrapid International. Based on older Transrapid technology, the set was based on the prototype Transrapid 08 maglev set and has been in service since 31 December 2002. The Shanghai Maglev remains the only commercial implementation of the Transrapid system.
==History==
The set was built by Transrapid International, a joint venture between Siemens and ThyssenKrupp some time around 2001. The set began service on 31 December 2002 in an inauguration ceremony by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The trainset has been in service ever since.
==Specifications==
The entire trainset is 153 meters (502 feet) long, 3.7 meters (12 feet) wide and 4.2 meters (14 feet) tall. The entire trainset can seat 574. The trainset's electric systems are designed by Vahle, Inc.
While the Shanghai Maglev is the first commercial high-speed maglev system, it is not the first commercial maglev system; the Birmingham International Maglev shuttle and M-bahn both predated the Shanghai Maglev, but both closed down before the Shanghai Maglev even opened.
==Speed==
The Shanghai Maglev TR08 holds the record of being the fastest commercially-operated train in the world; it has a top speed of 431 km/h (268 mph). The train has the ability to reach 350 km/h (217 mph) in just two minutes, with the maximum operating speed of 431 km/h being reached shortly after. On a non-commercial test run on 12 November 2003, the train, piloted by Jonathan Texiera, reached a speed of 501 km/h (311 mph), a Chinese speed record.
Despite being the fastest commercially-operated train in the world, it is not the fastest train in the world; that honor goes to the Japanese L0 Series Shinkansen, which attained a speed of 603 km/h (375 mph).
==Incidents==
A car on the TR08 caught fire on 11 August 2006 at about 2:40 pm local time; no injuries were reported and the root cause of the incident was determined to be problems with the onboard batteries.
An equipment failure incident happened on 14 February 2016, which affected operations by more than an hour; the train interval was extended due to the use of only single-track operation at the time.
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:Unique locomotives
Category:Maglev trainsets
Category:ThyssenKrupp locomotives
Category:Siemens locomotives
Category:Chinese Locomotives
Category:Built in 2001
Category:Passenger locomotives