The construction of a 160-km high-speed rail link between Shanghai and Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, got under way yesterday, the Ministry of Railways said.

Once completed, the line will cut the average journey time from 78 minutes to 30 minutes, it said in a news release.

Although work has begun on the new line, the development of a maglev service between the two cities has not been ruled out.

Wu Wenhua, a researcher with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)'s comprehensive transport institute, said that although the high-speed line will run almost parallel to the proposed maglev route, the two projects will not conflict with each other.

The high-speed line will later be extended to the south to tie in with China's trunk rail network, while the maglev will provide an intercity link to boost the economic development of the Yangtze River Delta, he said.

The planned maglev will also link up with existing one to serve the World Expo site, Shanghai Southern railway station and Hongqiao Airport, he said.

Shanghai municipal government is considering building the maglev line underground to allay the public's fears of electromagnetic pollution, but that option would be a lot more costly, Wu said.

The final decision has to be approved by the NDRC, he said.

Chen Qiwei, spokesman for the Shanghai government, said yesterday that the maglev project is still an option, and plans for it are currently being discussed by relevant industry experts.

The NDRC gave its approval in 2007 for a feasibility study to be conducted on a maglev line to link Shanghai and Hangzhou.

The project was later put on hold, however, because of doubts about the technology, the project's high cost and residents' concerns about possible noise and electromagnetic pollution.

(China Daily February 27, 2009)