(File photo)

Changsha Maglev Express began trial operation on May 6, 2016. Over the past three years, it has operated 146,547 train services, with a total mileage of more than 2.7 million km. It has carried over 9.16 million passengers, 8,370 per day on average. The daily passenger flow peak was seen on October 4, 2018, with 14,501 passengers taking the trains.

Hunan decided to construct a mid-low speed maglev line in 2013, in a bid to promote the industrial application of its advanced magnetic levitation technology. The project was launched on May 16, 2014. The line was designed to link the Changsha South Railway Station and the Changsha Huanghua International Airport, with a total length of 18.55 km, and design speed of 100 per hour.

After the trial operation, Changsha Maglev Express has been continuously optimized technologically. A complete operation, overhaul, and maintenance system for mid and low-speed maglev trains has been developed, which filled China’s gap in this field.

Over the three-year operation, Changsha Maglev Express has served delegations from 52 cities of 39 countries. It won several honors, including 16th Zhan Tianyou Civil Engineering Prize, and gold prize of the first batch of national quality engineering projects (2018-2019). It was presented at the B20 Summit in Hangzhou in 2016, and the major exhibition to commemorate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up held at the National Museum of China.

A part of Changsha’s “high-speed railway – maglev express – civil aviation” rapid traffic system, a maglev city terminal was built at the Changsha South Railway Station, and put into operation on March 31 this year. Passengers can check in and check their baggage in advance at the railway station.