Maglev runs into friction

Residents are angry over line, but experts hail it as a 'green' alternative. Qian Yanfeng reports from Shanghai.

As Li Qingwei sat down to pen a letter of protest over the expansion of Shanghai's magnetic levitation (maglev) rail link, he had a strange sense of deja vu. He and thousands of others had fought, and won, this battle once before.

The project, which involves extending the line to Hangzhou, capital of neighboring Zhejiang province, was shelved two years ago after residents in Shanghai took to the streets to show their disapproval. But the plans appear to be back on the table thanks to central government efforts to boost high-speed rail travel across the country.