Over 100 magnetic levitation  (maglev) experts gathered Wednesday in Shanghai's tech-intensive  Tongji University to discuss the feasibility and future of the  maglev development in transportation.

   Papers presented at the forum covered the latest research and  progress in this field, and included papers on a German consortium 's contract project to build a high-tech magnetic levitation train in Shanghai.  

   Wu Xiangming, CEO of the Shanghai Maglev Transportation Company, described the transrapid route which will be about 30 kilometers  long and will connect  Pudong International Airport with the  center of Shanghai in less than 10 minutes.

   Maglev uses powerful magnets to hold a train a few millimeters  above the track and propel it along with little noise or vibration. The trains can reach speeds of more than 400 kilometers per hour,  as fast as a jet plane.

   The partners in the consortium are engineering giants Siemens  and ThyssenKrupp and train builder Adtranz, owned by  DaimlerChrysler.

   Germany has spent decades and billions of dollars in developing maglev, as has Japan. But the Shanghai project will be the first  time the technology is put to commercial use.