(The Virginian-Pilot posted the following story by Debbie Messina on its website on February 10.)
NORFOLK — Old Dominion University is hoping for federal money to jump-start the stalled magnetic levitation train that has sat idle for more than two months on an elevated track that spans the campus.
The university’s dream of capturing the national spotlight for maglev development has been tangled up in congressional negotiations over the federal budget.
“It’s extraordinarily frustrating,” said Robert L. Fenning, ODU vice president for administration and finance. “We keep anticipating we’ll be in a position to be able to move ahead.”
The project ran out of funding last fall after technological glitches started eating up time and money. The project missed two “grand opening” dates in September and November. Construction on the stations and track stopped.
But not all work has halted. Scientists and engineers at Lockheed Martin have continued to work in their Florida laboratory to improve the train’s computer controls for a smoother ride. Eliminating bumps and rattles has been the biggest engineering hurdle.
“This is new technology, and it’s going to have hiccups,” said Robert L. Ash, ODU’s interim vice president for research.
Fenning said, “We may be in a holding pattern, but we’re not sitting around with a bunch of folks scratching their heads. We know what needs to be done.”
About a dozen ODU engineering faculty members have been consulting with Lockheed Martin and American Maglev Technology Inc. to fix the problems. They believe they’ve found a solution.
Meanwhile, on campus, students wonder what’s up.
“There’s a lot of confusion about why it’s not ready,” said Larry Woods, student body president. “The students are anxious to see it complete.”
Rodney Beckner, an ODU freshman, said he looks forward to riding maglev and avoiding the 15-minute walk across campus.
“Right now, we’ve got this big huge track that everyone uses to walk under when it’s raining,” he said. “It’s an expensive umbrella.”
But Beckner hasn’t given up hope. “I don’t think anyone will let something this big and this huge go down the gutter.”
If successful, the project would be the first maglev train in the country.
The new technology, which uses magnets to float a train over elevated tracks, has the potential to revolutionize mass transit because it’s cheaper, cleaner and consumes less land than traditional trains, said Tony Morris, president of Atlanta-based American Maglev Technology, which is leading the effort.
Testing the latest improvements requires an infusion of cash.
The Senate has set aside $2 million for the ODU maglev in its proposed budget, but the House has not earmarked funds for specific transportation projects. Delayed since October, a compromise on the federal budget could come later this month.
Meredith Moseley, a spokeswoman for Sen. John W. Warner, said there’s significant support from both houses.
Project officials wouldn’t discuss what they’ll do if the federal money fails to come through. And, feeling skittish after busting two deadlines, they also aren’t announcing a new completion date.
ODU’s maglev was originally budgeted at $16 million: $7 million from private contributors Lockheed Martin and Dominion Virginia Power; a $7 million state loan; and $2 million in federal funds. ODU is not a financial partner.
When the federal money failed to come through, American Maglev adjusted its plans. Then a few things went wrong in the train’s development, and there was no cushion in the budget. Despite the setbacks, project officials remain optimistic.
“We’re in the unusual situation because we have no financial exposure on this thing,” Ash said. “Our patience is being tested, but on the other side, we’re about to have the nation’s first maglev system and we didn’t spend any of our funds to do it.”
University officials see maglev not only as campus transportation but also as a research vessel for its faculty and students.
While the ODU project stalled, the world’s first commercial, high-speed maglev train revved up in China.
The $1.3 billion maglev train reached 260 mph on a 19-mile track between downtown Shanghai and a new airport. Transrapid International sold the system to China after spending several decades and billions of dollars developing the technology in Germany.
Although it made a successful trial run on New Year’s Eve, it won’t open until later this year after testing is complete.
China’s progress may dash Morris’ hope of launching “the first commercial maglev project on the planet.” But Morris is undaunted because he sees his lower-speed, lower-cost version as being more marketable.
“We want to get ODU finished and let the world see our flavor — at $20 million a mile instead of $60 or $80 million a mile,” he said.
“The Concorde is a great testament to engineering, but it’s unaffordable.”