A True Pioneer - The Birmingham Airport Maglev

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Very much an unsung hero of modern railway technology, the Birmingham Airport Maglev, as opened in 1984, was the world's first commercial maglev system, carrying passengers the 0.3 mile journey between Birmingham International station and the airport terminal in a journey lasting around 90 seconds, proving itself a reliable, sturdy and efficient means of carrying travellers for 11 years.

Sadly, what was cutting edge in 1984 was outdated and expensive by 1995, and despite the maglev operating without major fault throughout its lifetime, it was rapidly left behind as the technology behind its construction advanced without it, and thus meant that this pioneering system would be replaced by something far more conventional after only a decade of use.

Chapters:

0:00 - Preamble
0:40 - Magnetic Levitation
2:17 - International Connections
3:45 - Developing from Scratch
6:57 - Perfecting a New Formula
9:37 - Tests and Trials
12:09 - Guiding the Way
15:14 - Driverless Duo
18:22 - Into and Out of Service
21:45 - Conclusion

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References:
- Key Model (and their respective sources)
- M.G. Pollard in Physics in Technology (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)