For the construction of a four-billion-euro maglev rail link between the cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou in east China agreement has been reached on technology transfer and other key issues relating to the project between China and Germany, a well-informed Chinese official said in Beijing Monday.

Wu Xiangming, director of the China national maglev transportation technology research center, told the fourth China-Germany High-Technology Dialog Forum the two sides had agreed on the operating model of the project, the division of general responsibilities, technology transfer and the delivery of electromechanical equipment.

The German company, Siemens, had agreed to transfer technologies to its joint ventures in China for the manufacture of the power supply and operational control systems, he said. Another German supplier, Krupp, would also transfer technology for the production of the body of the train, railroad switches and other systems, he added.

Wu explained that the overall scheme for the Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev line and technological system specifications had already been worked out.

The line was formally approved by the Chinese government in March this year and is expected to be operational by 2010. It'll be approximately 200 kilometers in length and is designed to allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 450 kilometers per hour.

Wu said he hoped that industries in the two countries would forge long-term partnerships after their cooperation on the construction of the experimental maglev line. 

Based on the principle of sharing both risks and benefits the two countries should base their cooperation on fairness and work together to promote the development and application of maglev technologies in the world, said Wu. 

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2006)