Maglev container bridge proposed for construction between Saint-Petersburg and Moscow

The committee of the Leningrad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has listened to a report of Anatoly Zaitsev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of National Speedways OJSC, on magnetic levitation technologies for public municipal transport and container bridge between the ports of the Gulf of Finland and terminals of Moscow. According to the Chamber press center, the speaker noted that the present transport system cannot meet the demand of domestic manufacturers when it comes to the key parameter – speed of cargo transportation. Meanwhile maglev technologies allow meeting of all the requirements. 

According to Anatoly Zaitsev, the scientific research resulted in conceiving of two projects: container bridge “terminals of Saint-Petersburg – terminals of Moscow” and new municipal passenger transport at the advance section “Palace of Congresses – Obukhovo metro station”. He says 2 million containers are annually delivered from container terminals of the Baltic Sea to Moscow terminals and back with motor transportation accounting for 90% of all cargoes.

The scientific research was carried out by Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Russian Railways OJSC. The scientific inquiry, calculations, experiments are to be completed in 2014 with the production of a sample platform for maglev transportation of containers and trailers.

The report of Valentin Zanin, Director General of National Speedways OJSC, was dedicated to economic attractiveness of municipal and cargo transport based on maglev technologies. He said the projects are interesting for private capital while the state is to provide political support.

Maglev (derived from magnetic levitation), is a system of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles, predominantly trains, using magnetic levitation from a very large number of magnets for lift and propulsion. This method has the potential to be faster, quieter and smoother than wheeled mass transit systems. The power needed for levitation is usually not a particularly large percentage of the overall consumption; most of the power used is needed to overcome air drag, as with any other high speed train.