THE Chinese city of Changsha launched commercial operations on an 18.6km maglev line linking Changsha South main line station with Huanghua International Airport to the west of the city.

The line, which uses Chinese maglev technology, currently has only one intermediate station at Langlizhen, although two further stations are planned.

Services are operated by Hunan Maglev Transportation Development using a fleet of three-car trains supplied by CRRC Zhuzhou. Each 48m-long train accommodates up to 363 passengers and includes a dedicated luggage compartment.

Infrastructure and rolling stock is designed for 120km/h operation, although speeds are currently restricted to 100km/h.