| Actually, with the amount of air resistance the train have to overcome at high speed, they really should have enclosed the whole track and vaccumed the whole track (not necessary have to be a total vaccum, just enough to reduce the air resistance quite enough). Drastic measure, yes. But... If they already willing to building an 30 km long linear electronic motor, enclosing the track and vaccumed it don't look so drastic at all. Besides, that way no living thing will be able to cross the track, much alone survive there (if it needed to breath air). Many of the newer maglev concept designs featured a vaccum track, since that high speed trains don't do too well at overcoming air resistance (even I.C.E., T.G.V. and its derivative, and the Shinkansen suffered from this).
As for bird strike. That's why airport has a 'no bird' policy. That way no bird will hit an airplane (includin even get sucked into its engines) and vice versa. It should be noted that an airplane take off speed is around 270 km/hour, much lower than the Transrapid's top speed. An airplane made a loud sound when it take off. As for the maglev bird strike. Well... Now the bird knows on what happened to a fly when it try to cross a busy highway with many cars running at high speed. |
PVG: Closer Look at MagLev