Maglev trains ruled out for Pearl River Delta

The proposal to build an express rail link passing through Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong has gained steam, with the mainland authorities reaching a consensus over the technology.

Sources close to the Guangdong provincial government told the South China Morning Post that the use of conventional high-speed rolling stock was on the cards despite calls for the fledgling magnetic levitation trains.

Maglev trains, introduced in Shanghai recently, were fast and quiet but had cost and technological drawbacks, they said.

'It is likely that we will build conventional [tracks] and use high-speed trains like the bullet train in Japan and TGV in France,' one Guangzhou-based source said.

'The prime consideration is the short distance between Guangzhou and Hong Kong, at about 140km. If we use the maglev technology, the train has to pull its brake before it runs to its maximum speed of 500km/h,' he said.

The maximum speed of bullet and TGV trains is 300km/h, and they have proven safety records and relatively lower costs.

Any Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong rail line will play a pivotal role in spurring logistics, tourism and economic development in the region.