MAG LEV

(FIRST) SUBWAY ENTRANCE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SHI JI AVE.
WIDENING THE NORTH SIDE OF SHI JI AVE.
(SECOND) SUBWAY ENTRANCE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF SHI JI AVE.

MAG LEV is one of the latest additions to Pu Dong's modernization.

Although it has been in operation for a couple of years it was only last year that it was finally able to run at its top speed of 431 Km per hr. and it was only this year that I was able to ride on it.

From where I was staying, in Shanghai, I had to take a #795 bus, it would drop me off at the subway station near the Pear TV Tower.

By following the map, as the bus was moving, I chose a closer stop that would drop me near a subway station closer to my destination.

I had to walk a block, along Dong Fang Lu, and cross a busy street, Shi Ji Ave., near a (first) subway station.

I have travelled many thoroughfares in Shanghai and most of them are called `Lu' which means `road'. I have only come acrross 2 that are named `street' and 2 that are named `avenue'.

At the second station I realized I should have taken the first station, according to the map. Asking the security, I was told that the second one, below ground, under the busy Shi Ji Ave., didn't connect to the first one. And looking at the map I believed the two to be completely seperate for seperate subway lines. So, back to the busy corner, across Shi Ji Ave., down the block to the first station, only to be told, by people coming up the stairs, that the station was closed and I had to go across the street to the second station.

Back at the second station the security told me that I could catch subway line 2 in this station.

By `talking' I mean that I was making hand signals, pointing at my street map, and he was shaking or nodding his head.

Down below I learned that the second station did give access to the first station, however the first station entrance to the strteet was closed.

Next I found a courtesy booth where a young lady directed me to the ticket vending machines to buy a ticket for line 2.

At the ticket machines another helpful lady, who also spoke a modicum of English, showed me how to use the machine to choose the station I wanted to go to, to determine the price of the ticket. For Y3 I bought a ticket that would take me 3 stops. Second to the last.

Back to the information booth, to use the turnstiles beside it, but my ticket wouldn't work, or I was using it wrong. The lady that helped me before took my ticket, passed it over a machine, played with a keyboard and gave it back to me. This time it worked.

However, when I got to the other end, I could't get out through the turnstile. A lady in a booth took my ticket, put it on her machine, said there was nothing wrong with it and gave it back to me. This time it worked.

Up the escalator, into another building, buy another ticket, Y50 one way, Y40 if you have your airplane ticket with you, then up another escalator. (From the Long Yan Subway station the Mag Lev only makes one stop, the Pu Dong international airport. Approximately 30 Km.)

Just a short wait, the train leaves evey fifteen minutes.

ENTRANCE TURNSTILES AT THE MAG LEV STATION	MAG LEV LOADING PLATFORM I DON'T BELIEVE THE NORTH SIDE IS EVER USED
MAG LEV ENTERS THE TERMINAL	MAG LEV DOESN'T TURN AROUND, JUST CHANGES DIRECTION

ECONOMIC CLASS - SEATS FACE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS	THE TRAIN WILL LEAVE AT EXACTLY HALF PAST

A LAST MINUTE PASSENGER RUSHES TO GET ABOARD	LEAVING THE STATION - THE ENTIRE TRIP IS ABOVE THE STREETS

TWO MINUTES FROM THE STATION THE TRAIN APPROACHES A, LONG, BANKED, GENTLE, CURVE, BY THE TIME THE TRAIN LEAVES THE CURVE IT WILL HAVE ACCELERATED TO 431 K/H	PASSING CARS LIKE THEY WERE STANDING STILL OH, THEY ARE
THE SIGN FLICKERS BETWEEN 430 AND 431 A HEAVY VIBRATION PREVENTS A CLEAR PICTURE, EVEN WITH DIGITAL	AFTER TWO MINUTES OF HIGH SPEED THE TRAIN ENTERS THE SECOND, AND LAST, CURVE AND BEGINS TO DECELERATE

APPROACHING PU DONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT	PU DONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
	EXITING PASSNEGERS PASS PASSENGERS LINED UP FOR THE OPPOSING TRIP

V.I.P. SECTION - 6 ROWS OF OPPOSING SEATS A SMALL CURTAINED OFF SECTION BETWEEN THE ECONOMIC SECTION AND THE CONTROL ROOM	INTERIOR OF CONTROL ROOM AT EACH END OF THE TRAIN
SITTING ON THE SHADY SIDE OF THE TRAIN I GET LESS REFLECTION	2 MINUTES ACCELERATION, 2 MINUTES CRUISE AT HIGH SPEED, 2 MINUTES DECELERATION

6 MINUTES FOR A 30 KM. TRIP	I BELEIVE, ONLY ONE TRAIN IS USED TO MAKE 2 ROUND TRIPS IN ONE HOUR
PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH PASENGERS TO REQUIRE A TRAIN ON THE SECOND TRACK	ENTERING THE LONG YAN LU STATION

BACK TO THE START, OF THE SUBWAY RIDE