East China Maglev Project Suspended Amid Radiation Concerns - Xinhua
Xinhua reports that the Shanghai government has cancelled plans for a magnetic levitation train to Hangzhou due to radiation concerns from residents:
China has suspended the planned construction of a high-speed magnetic levitation train route linking the eastern cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou amid radiation concerns, officials and experts said on Saturday…
An official with the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress confirmed a major reason for the suspension was the radiation concerns from residents living along the proposed route. “The government is working on the issue,” he said on condition of anonymity. [Full text]
See also a New York Times report. Shanghai residents had earlier protested the construction of the train for a variety of reasons, including the forced eviction from their homes and potential radiation.
