Since the early days of lodestones, magnetic wonders have been controversial. But this may be one levitating showpiece we could possibly do without?Mumbai?s proposed maglev train, patterned along the one that runs in Shanghai. This is not to deny the metro?s need for efficient mass transit systems to augment its overloaded local train and bus networks. The city clearly needs transport solutions that can handle its expansion. However, with an initial cost estimate of Rs 30,000 crore, as reported, are we looking at a high-speed white elephant in the making? As prestige projects go, a train that uses magnetic technology to ?fly? above the track, touching speeds of over 200 kmph, sometimes even 300 kmph, would be hard to match. Some would also argue that a city that is expanding almost halfway to Pune deserves transit systems that do justice to the distances. Yet, before the city commits itself to a project that will take up to Rs 300 crore per km, a proper assessment needs to be made of the actual cost-benefit ratio.
Note that a Maglev train would not be compatible with existing infrastructure, and an entire network would have to be put in place, which could prove to be a costly logistical nightmare. After all, there is already a metro project in the works, and unsettling the city for yet another network may be a little too much trouble. Remember, too, beyond the experiment done by the Chinese in Shanghai, which is quite a showcase city, maglev technology has not been adopted by other cities for mass transit. The reason why this incredible and admirable hi-tech marvel has not found too many converts is its cost. Shanghai?s network cost a staggering $12 billion to build, and the maintenance bill is estimated at over $60 million per year. This may either mean heavily subsidised fares or steep ticket pricing?with a Delhi-Mumbai air ticket costing about as much as an airport to hotel transfer by the maglev. In contrast, a well-mapped combination of metro and monorail systems may prove far more viable. So, the maglev project might end up as an expensive showpiece. Unless, of course, India?s famed engineering skills can be put to use to re-engineer the costs down to the tiniest nanotech electron spin. A much cheaper, preferably indigenously made maglev would be something else altogether.
