Shanghai suburbs in train uproar - 20 Jan 08

[cookoer]

I know China has many problems, but the western media always enlarge the problems and do their best to bring shame on China.

[prepschoolkid]

Al jazeera is not "western media".

[natdavi]

@cookoer Al Jazeera isn't "western"

[bushangels]

if the government chooses to build a regular train, the noise would be even greater...these protesters should come to NYC and see what those trains sound like...Bunch of selfish ppl!

[bushangels]

those ppl are not worried about the enviornment cz' meglev is the most enviornmental frienly train. Those ppl are more worried about the value of their properties.

[Daviaz12]

They will build it anyway and noise? what noise? i have been close to the maglev is not really noisy is the fastest train come on just like 4 seconds and thats it

[cismok]

@Daviaz12 The main environmental impact is the vast magnetic field. The line was proposed to built with only 20 meters buffering zone instead of 120 meters safety zone recommended by experts.

Now the plan has been suspended, but not due to the claims laid by those guys.

The previous maglev line has never been economic viable, never be profitable, and the tech is still under development, and not suitable for commercial use.

[AgainstCXF]

4.Economy: It will cost total 6 billion RMB for 30 km length. It will take over 80 RMB to get on. It's much expensive than other transtportation and less people will take. billion RMB.We can get this information from now exist Longyang Meglev line. This exist line income can't cover the cost and lost total 1 billion. This new line will bring lost again!

So, we say no! Not for meglev, just say no for to close to residental areas!

[AgainstCXF]

3.Envirment: the radiation, noise, vibiration. The line will be craw up four times and craw down to earth three times. Because the line must cross the high way, Huangpu River. It will be ugerl in Shanghai. It will go along with several river, then will influence the river envirment.

[AgainstCXF]

The new Maglev line will be set up 40's near my window. It's too close to residental areas. There are about 20 residental areas which are influent by this new Maglev line. There are around 1.6 million pepeol near this line 500 metres. We dout the line as follow:

1. Safety: too close to high density residental areas, the meglev will go near y residental buidings with 200 Km/hour

2. Human healty: the radiation, noise, vibiration etc will influence pepole heath.

[giftzyx]

but considering the money that will spend in it, i'll have to say no...such a line from shanghai to nearby hangzhou takes billions of dollars, and just to shorten the trip from 1.5 hours to half an hour (i don't know exactly how long, just a guess, hongzhou's over 200km away) yet leave hundreads of millions of people live in poverty?

[giftzyx]

being a member of shanghai, i'm personally against this project, not for the environment or land reasons, but from economy point of view.

compared to trains or vehicles, meglev's comparatively environmentally friendly (at least according to discovery channel). and as for land, there're ppl moving every few weeks in this city because of new projects (streets widening, subway stations, etc.), and most of the time people are happy about this, coz they usually get good compensate for better homes.

[Zekee27]

what a bunch of whining Bourgeois, the train goes at 430km/h, u barely see/hear it for 3 seconds, it's not like a NY Subway rail passing above u and causing a earthquake in ur entire house... There are far worse things happening around the world, QQ more ungrateful rich bastards

[prepschoolkid]

What's wrong with being rich?

[Zekee27]

Most rich ppl are pompous self-centered assholes who care little about anything else then their own wealth, thats whats wrong

[prepschoolkid]

No they are not, I know rich people and they arent like that at all. Most human beings are self centered assholes, deal with it.

[Deno278]

I actually think its a good idea because that way people won't have to use their cars as much to get into the main downtown area.

[80oio08]

you jerk.

how much do you know about the line in Shanghai?

[againstmaglev]

againt maglev running in urban area.

[ali100112]

they are not going to move the residents to a better place, but just let them be...

that's what the citizens are protesting.

[ali100112]

people live their will need to endure noise and radiation.

[ali100112]

they plan to build meglev only 22.5 meters away from native residents' houses. it's terrible!

[obscurenote]

Nice coverage.

[benjaminwang81]

support tube  from china

[benjaminwang81]

support tube

[benjaminwang81]

support the tube,stopping closed by china goverment

[benjaminwang81]

support tube,stop closed by china goverment.

[GoneFishing36]

In some sense, China seems to have more democracy than the US.

[annarboriter]

Most commenters are missing one of the main points. This group of educated citizens are confronting the simple reality that they have no voice in politics. When the only thing that people can say is no, they shout it even if it isn't entirely in their best interests to do so.

[feeltrade]

See the vids of international standards on being a protestor for voice of politics on the world.That is mildly nice version.

[dmosborne81]

Fantastic point. It doesn't seem as if this group is totally voiceless however (albeit in realms outside politics) -- consider the fact that it got play in this forum. The question now would be how the Chinese government can reconcile its own interests with the interests of the citizens, on political, economic and personal levels. Is there a compromise?

[bg24955]

stop BS. most people have never seem anything on land travelling above 400+km/hr. let me tell you: train causes a mild sonic 'boom' or big 'hesss' sound - something very unpleasant you have to experience by youself. therefore more space is needed.

shanghai gov is cheap shit.

[ambientdiscord]

speed of sound is 1230 km/h, i doubt there is any kind of sonic boom. whatever the sound is - is probably something else.

[sruckoldt]

No one seems to be complaining or protesting the coal dust and cancer rates in Ping Xiang.

[doglin82]

this just shows that China is gradualy transforming to a more liberal and democratic country.

[dmosborne81]

Maglev may be "environmentally friendly", but the reality is that people's homes must be removed from the vicinity where they have plans to build -- future impacts must also be taken into consideration, such as the immediate decline in the value of surrounding real estate, which is an inevitability -- who wants to live by a set of hanging tracks that obscures the sun?

[Surmoka]

You are right, they have to take land to construct. But its footprint is still less than that of a conventional train - you just have to take land to build anything.

The train is silent and has makes practically no ground shake - it doesn't damage nearby real estate as much as anything else.

[dmosborne81]

From a pragmatic perspective, I absolutely agree with you, and I understand that the impact of the train on the environment is as "kind" as it can be. My concern is really more social in nature, especially in that such a proposal to build challenges and displaces the advancements made by working class persons into middle-class lifestyles. In my mind, this proposal is an affront to those efforts.

[tchengaje]

The residents are also concerned about the potential problems of living close to such enormous magnetic fields..ie those generated to power the train. The scientific evidence of harm is unproven, but certainly the government has done little to quell their fears.

[EsotericDesi]

Chinese Eat CATS.... They stole that train's design from Germans or Japanese...

[pmoraisjr]

The train was built by the Maglev company, which is German. Its the first one in the world.

[Surmoka]

The Shanghai Maglev is not "one of the fastest trains in the world".

It's THE fastest train in the world, and there's not even a competition.

However, the protesters are seriously mislead: there are no economical and health concerns. No such thing as "radiation" from the train. Nothing to fear from. It's effectively silent as it travels through urban areas at a reduced speed of 200km/h and its magnetic field is less than the magnetic field from your television at home.

[tchengaje]

The french TGV is now faster...reaching speeds in excess of 500 KHM.

[djnobel]

If they fuck with the Chinese government they will get killed. No protest in China.

[nickvanzetti]

Chairman Mao is needed to be studied more than ever now! The Chinese have been taken astray by capitalist roaders against Communism and will be their downfall.

[percybernedo]

Is the government paying anything for the land? governments around the world including the US one can expropriate land to build public services.

[justjeshb]

Since it is a "communist" country no one can own land, it's owned collectively by all the people [the government] who will use it for the people's good, theoreticallyA.

The government can just let people lease the land for so long, but cannot evict people at a whim. They'll just make a deal with the company that owns the land, friends with the party who will be given something in exchange.

But of course if they kick out people who live there with no compensation at all there'll be trouble...

[justjeshb]

Since it is a "communist" country no one can own land, it's owned collectively by all the people [the government] who will use it for the people's good, theoreticallyA.

The government can just let people lease the land for so long, but cannot evict people at a whim. They'll just make a deal with the company that owns the land, friends with the party who will be given something in exchange.

But of course if they kick out people who live there with no compensation at all there'll be trouble...

[Hazarestan]

hmmm

[gjanie]

The Olympics are in Beijing.

[TheSilhouette]

Whoops, heh heh.

[TheSilhouette]

Boycott the Shanghai Olympics.