The first Chinese middle-to-low speed magnetically levitated (maglev) rail line began operating in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province. The maglev shuttles between Changsha’s south railway station and the airport, with one stop in between. It takes 19 minutes and 30 seconds to complete the 18.55-km journey. The train can carry 363 people at a maximum speed of 100 km per hour. The price of a one-way ticket is 20 yuan (about 3 U.S.dollars). Middle-to-low speed trains produce very little noise and occupy much less land than subways. The line costs between 150 million yuan and 250 million yuan per kilometer, making it highly economical compared to subways and light rail, which cost up to 800 million yuan and 300 million yuan per km respectively.

CAS news release, May 5, 2016