NORFOLK, Va. — With a few computer keystrokes, the nation’s first magnetic levitation train lifts and slowly moves down a short stretch of track at Old Dominion University, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
These early test runs at about 4 mph along the length of the adjacent tennis courts are a far cry from what the train’s inventor hopes to have in service by the end of September. Still, it’s a start.
The blue and white bullet-nosed train levitates. It moves. It stops. It reverses direction. But it still bumps and rattles a bit.
Tony Morris, president and CEO of American Maglev Technology Inc., and his team of engineers are racing the clock to fix the kinks and fully test the vehicle before its scheduled debut Sept. 30.
Morris had hoped to start shuttling students across campus at 40 mph by the end of this
“We’re not done yet,” Morris said Thursday during a round of testing. “Birthing technology is really messy.”
The track has been bolted down atop half the 3,200-foot guideway. Power is connected to about one-third of the line. The three stations are in the early stages of construction.
Yet, the train’s levitation and propulsion — the part that’s never been done before in this country — are working. Electromagnets lift the car about a half-inch above the rail, and a linear induction motor propels it along.
Beginning next week, these elements will be tested in earnest. ODU seniors and graduate students have been hired to run the train each evening for hours at a time.
“They’ll run it back and forth like one big video game,” Morris said.
Morris expects to add 80 to 100 feet of track daily, allowing the train to go farther and faster with each day’s running.
Meanwhile, work continues on making the ride smoother and quieter. The doors on the car need to be tightened, as well as a few inside panels. Side panels covering the inner workings were recently installed but still need to be insulated. The biggest key to reducing noise is to make sure every inch of the track is absolutely level.
“It’s a tuning process,” Morris said. “The better you tune the instrument, the better the music will be.”
He said the tuning will continue to the last minute before the maglev opens.
Before the first passenger is permitted on board, Morris must certify that the maglev is safe to ride. He said more than 150 tests and inspections will be performed by his company over the next several weeks.
Because no one in the nation has ever built a maglev, no state or federal agency is charged with oversight.
The National People Mover code, the same code that applies to light rail and airport people movers, requires that American Maglev validate the system’s safety and performance.
The Virginia Transportation Research Council, a joint venture between the Virginia Department of Transportation and the University of Virginia, has been working with American Maglev and ODU to establish the minimum requirements for testing.
“There has been some uncertainty, on something as new and novel as this, what kind of operational testing should be insisted on,” said Wayne Ferguson, the council’s associate director. “We would not be willing to go along with any kind of recommendation that this maglev train be put in service until a minimum set of operational tests and standards are met.”
Morris agrees.
“Our commitment to safety is everything,” he said. “Our company is at the beginning of its life. Our company and our name is on the line.
“We will not let anyone ride the system until it’s thoroughly validated.”