Technical alternatives for a maglev system

The research effort of the last six years in W. Germany has reduced the alternatives for the lift, guidance and propulsion of a magnetically levitated train with maximum speeds of from 400 to 500 km/h to essentially two possibilities with one additional variant: the electromagnetic levitation system (e.m.s.) being developed by the consortium Transrapid-EMS (Krauss-Maffei & MBB) together with Thyssen Henschel and Universitied, and, secondly, the electrodynamic levitation system (e.d.s.) of the project group AEG-BBC-Siemens.