Magnetic Levitation Trains: Technology, Costs, and Future
This paper reviews the literature on magnetic levitation (maglev) train technology to assess its feasibility as a replacement or supplement to conventional transportation systems. Beginning with an overview of how superconducting and electromagnetic levitation works, the paper traces the history of maglev from early proposals in the 1920s through commercial deployments in China, Japan, and Germany. It examines the advantages of maglev — including near-zero CO2 emissions during operation, reduced friction and maintenance costs, and competitive travel times versus short-haul air travel — alongside significant challenges such as infrastructure costs, system complexity, and political barriers in the United States. The paper also considers broader applications of maglev and superconducting technology beyond passenger rail.
- Introduction: Framing maglev's promise and research questions
- How Maglev Technology Works: Superconductors, electromagnets, guideways, and safety
- Global Adoption and Commercial Development: China, Germany, and Japan lead commercial maglev
- Advantages of Maglev Transportation: Cost, emissions, speed, and congestion relief benefits
- Criticisms, Costs, and Political Challenges: Infrastructure costs, politics, and U.S. funding gaps
- Broader Applications of Maglev Technology: Maglev in vehicles, energy storage, and aerospace
- Conclusion: U.S. lags; technology promising but politically stalled
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Draws on a wide range of sources — academic journals, news reports, government documents, and reference works — to build a balanced, evidence-rich argument.
- Presents both proponents' and critics' perspectives in detail, giving the review intellectual honesty and credibility.
- Uses a numbered list of advocacy points to organize a complex multi-faceted argument clearly, improving readability without sacrificing depth.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective synthesis in a literature review: rather than summarizing each source individually, it groups findings thematically — technology mechanics, global case studies, cost-benefit arguments, and political context — allowing competing viewpoints to be weighed against one another. Direct quotations are integrated with attribution and followed by the author's own analytical framing, modeling proper use of source material.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a technology overview and research question, proceeds through a long review-and-discussion section that has been re-sectioned here into logical thematic segments, and closes with a concise conclusion. The numbered list of maglev advocacy points serves as a pivot between the descriptive and evaluative portions of the argument. The references section follows APA formatting throughout.
Introduction
Today, innovations in transportation technologies have significantly improved the energy efficiency, CO2 emission rates, and safety of aircraft, railroads, the trucking industry, and automobiles. Although these innovations have provided some improvements compared to the past, there remains a pressing need to identify ways to improve these technologies even further — to reduce carbon emissions, improve performance, and increase safety. In 1984, the first commercial magnetic levitation train was introduced to the public. Maglev is a system of transportation that levitates and propels a train using electricity as its source of power. Compared to other modes of transportation such as automobiles, conventional trains, and airplanes, this technology, by itself, produces nearly zero CO2 emissions during operation and can move at incredible speed. All of this raises an important question: Is this technology logically feasible, and can it serve as a replacement for the current transportation system? To answer these questions, this paper reviews the relevant literature to determine the cost of production, emissions during operation, safety, energy use, potential for improvement, and how magnetic levitation compares to existing and potential alternatives. A summary of the research and key findings is presented in the conclusion.
How Maglev Technology Works
A recent and prominent example of how magnetic levitation can be applied to transportation is the maglev train. Magnetic levitation is made possible through the use of superconductors, which can attain virtually zero electrical resistance (Ndahi, 2003). According to Ndahi, "It is possible to generate large amounts of electrical energy, which in turn is used to generate a magnetic field large enough to repel the magnets attached to the underside of a train car. This repulsion and other controlled variables allow the train to float or levitate and be propelled forward at speeds of between 200–300 mph" (Ndahi, 2003, p. 17). The speeds attainable by maglev trains are more than twice as fast as Amtrak's current top performer, the Acela high-speed train (Baard, 2006). A more straightforward definition of maglev technology is provided by Cavendish, who reports that maglev "trains are propelled forward by attractive or repulsive forces induced by electromagnets mounted in the trains and the track" (2003, p. 1254). Some countries, such as Germany, have used electromagnets rather than superconducting magnets for their maglev train systems (Maglev trains, 2010).
The superconducting or electromagnetic magnets used in maglev train systems are typically mounted beneath the train as well as in the raised tracks and guideways that frame the train (Baard, 2006). As Baard explains, "The guideways can be either on the ground or built above existing highways to minimize environmental impact. A proposed California maglev network will cover 275 miles and move 500,000 riders rapidly between cities and to major airports, according to organizers" (2006, p. 26). This configuration helps to make maglev trains safe even at the higher speeds they travel. As Toto reports, "The bottom of the train wraps around the guideways, making derailments highly unlikely. The electromagnetic pulses propel the trains in one direction at a time, which would preclude having two trains hit head-on, and rear-end collisions are unlikely because all the trains would travel at the same rate as the magnetic pulse" (p. 1).
Nevertheless, the high speeds involved mean that there is always the potential for disaster, a reality made abundantly clear in 2006. According to a report in the Birmingham Post, "A high-speed magnetic levitation train travelling at 125 mph crashed in north-western Germany, killing at least 15 people in the first fatal wreck involving the high-tech system. Officials recovered 15 bodies from the scene of the crash of the experimental train, which struck a maintenance cart while running on an elevated track. Ten more people were injured. The fate of six others was unclear" (At least 15 die as maglev crashes, 2006, p. 8). The report noted, however, that the cause of the crash was human error rather than defective maglev technology (At least 15 die as maglev crashes, 2006).
It is also worth noting that maglev technology is not a recent invention. As Toto observes, "Specialists say using electromagnetic energy in such a fashion dates, in crude form, to the 1950s" (2002, p. 1). In fact, rocket scientist Robert Goddard proposed transportation systems using magnetic levitation technologies as early as 1926 (Cleveland & Morris, 2006).
References
At least 15 die as maglev crashes. (2006, September 23). The Birmingham Post, 8.
Baard, M. (2006, April/May). Working on the railroad. Plenty, 26–27.
Banutu-Gomez, M. (2007). Production and trade factors between China and U.S. Journal of Global Business Issues, 1(1), 81–82.
Cavendish, M. (2003). How it works: Science and technology. New York: Marshall Cavendish.
Cleveland, C. J., & Morris, C. (2006). Dictionary of energy. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
LaHood, R. (2009). U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved from
Macdonald, S. (2002, May 6). Is costly maglev just a boondoggle? Enthusiasts claim maglev trains traveling at 250 mph might cure congestion woes, but analysts say this hugely expensive technology is not cost-effective. Insight on the News, 18(16), 23–24.
Maglev trains. (2010). National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Retrieved from
Michael, K. Y., & Easley, B. (2002, September). Technology and Children, 7(1), 18–19.
Ndahi, H. B. (2003). Manufacturing with superconductors. The Technology Teacher, 63(3), 17–18.
Nickerson, R. S. (1999). Looking ahead: Human factors challenges in a changing world. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Plant, J. F. (2009). High-speed rail: An idea whose time has come? The Public Manager, 38(3), 78–79.
Pohl, F. (1999, February). Disappearing technologies: The uses of futuribles. The Futurist, 33(2), 30–31.
Post, R. F. (2000, Spring). Maglev's new promise. The Wilson Quarterly, 24(2), 114.
Stroh, M. (2003, April). Speed vs. need. Popular Science, 262(4), 42–43.
Toto, C. (2002, October 31). Magnetic levitation runs without either wheels or engines. The Washington Times, 1.
Uher, R. A. (1999, September–October). Levitating trains: Hope for gridlocked transportation. The Futurist, 24(5), 28–29.
Zande, R. V. (2010). Teaching design education for cultural, pedagogical and economic aims. Studies in Art Education, 51(3), 248–249.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.