Construction work has begun on the first phase of a 48.7 km magnetic levitation (maglev) railway line between Changsha and Liuyang in the Chinese province of Hunan. The project, described as China's first intercity maglev line, is expected to reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h and link up with the existing 18.6 km maglev line, which runs from the Changsha South Railway Station to Changsha Huanghua International Airport. The intercity maglev project is divided into two phases. The first 39.5 km from Changsha Huanghua International Airport to Jili is being built by Sinohydro Engineering Bureau 8, a subsidiary of Power Construction Corporation of China. The costs are estimated at around €1.37 billion (CNY 10.4 billion) and the opening is planned for 2029. Once completed, the new line is expected to halve journey times between Changsha and Liuyang.
