posted August 29, 2007
A study is beginning on a maglev high-speed ground transportation project between Chattanooga and Nashville, officials said Wednesday.
The Enterprise Center, Inc. in Chattanooga, together with its consultants ARCADIS U.S., Inc. and Commonwealth Research Associates, LLC,, will be heading up the project.
The Chattanooga-Nashville maglev project is part of a larger transportation plan to connect Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Nashville with high-speed trains, officials said.
Additional HSGT systems are in planning phases throughout the Southeast.
Maglev, short for magnetic levitation, is an advanced passenger and freight transport technology in which electronics and magnetic forces lift, guide, and propel the train over an elevated track called a guideway. Using all-electric power and state-of-the-art control systems, the need for wheels is eliminated, allowing for contact-free travel, excellent acceleration and braking rates, and cruising speeds of 250 to 300 miles per hour.
Maglev trains are presently in commercial operation in Shanghai, China, and Nagoya, Japan, and are in final planning for Munich, Germany. Passengers would be able to travel between Chattanooga and Nashville in record times, with the ability to relax or work in a modern aircraft-like passenger car.
The primary goals for this mode of transportation are safety, reliability, speed, environmental friendliness, and reduced highway congestion, it was stated. Maglev technology does not depend on fossil fuels for operation. By taking advantage of this new technology, Tennesseeans will be responding to the nationwide call for an overall reduction in oil dependence, officials said.
The current project is a feasibility study. Possible routes and station locations for the maglev train between Chattanooga and Nashville will be researched.
Currently, plans are to connect the major airports, downtown areas, and points in between.
Officials said, "Connecting these locations will provide safe, reliable, clean, and efficient traveling for passengers in and out of the Chattanooga and Nashville metropolitan areas. All passengers will enjoy a technology-savvy environment, as all maglev cars will be equipped with wireless high-speed Internet access and will be cell-phone friendly. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, passengers will especially appreciate the 99.9% schedule reliability that passengers in Shanghai, China, currently enjoy."
Over the next year, The Enterprise Center will be hosting a number of events and activities to involve the public in the Feasibility Study process, including public meetings, newsletters, a project website, and various other activities to gain input from citizens and other stakeholders.
Surveys will be available on the project website at www.cnmaglev.com.
Officials said, "Visit us and tell us what you think about this exciting new form of transportation for Tennessee."
For additional information, to contact us, sign up to receive the project newsletter, or to submit a comment, the following information is available:
Website: www.cnmaglev.com
Email: contact@cnmaglev.com
ARCADIS U.S., Inc.
ATTN: Chattanooga to Nashville MAGLEV
1210 Premier Drive, Suite 200
Chattanooga, TN 37421
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