Commissioning of the Transrapid 02 by Krauss Maffei.

Test runs with the Transrapid 06 begin and a speed of 302 km/h (188 mph) is reached.

Planning and preparation of the second portion of the TVE begin (southern loop).

The Transrapid 06 achieves a speed of 355 km/h (220 mph) on the portion of guideway available at the Test Facility.

The Transrapid 06 reaches a speed of 392 km/h (244 mph).

The Transrapid 06 surpasses its own design speed on numerous runs and sets a new world record of 412.6 km/h (256 mph) for passenger-carrying, maglev vehicles.

Long-term operating tests under near-application conditions begin with the Transrapid 06 at the TVE.

The Transrapid 07 is presented for the first time in public at the International Transportation Exhibition (IVA 88) in Hamburg. The vehicle is subsequently put into long-term operation at the TVE.

The Magnetschnellbahn Berlin-Hamburg GmbH is formed by Daimler Benz AG/AEG AG, Siemens AG, and Thyssen Industrie AG, to realize the Transrapid maglev route Berlin-Hamburg.

Under normal operating conditions, the Transrapid 07 achieves a new world speed record of 450 km/h (280 mph) at the Transrapid Test Facility. Just a few days earlier, the Transrapid achieves a non-stop distance of over 1 664 km (1034 miles) during a series of endurance runs. This is equivalent to a trip from Hamburg to Rome.

The government approves the realization of the Transrapid Maglev Route Berlin-Hamburg based on the financing concept proposed by the private sector partners.

The Maglev Systems Planning Law is passed by the Federal Parliament which establishes the legal prerequisites required for the official planning of the Berlin-Hamburg Project. This law defines the planning process required for maglev routes in Germany and is thereby analogous to the existing planning laws for highways and railroads.

Revenue operation begins at the Transrapid Test Facility in Emsland with visitors paying DM 20 per person for the opportunity to experience the world’s fastest train ride (open to the general public). To meet the growing visitor demand, an expanded schedule is introduced with up to 8 visitor rides per day, 6 days a week.

The Executive Board of Deutsche Bahn AG (German Railways) officially approves the participation of DB AG in the project as an equity shareholder (DM 300 million) in the Operations Company and as the future operator of the Transrapid route.

The Planning Company officially presents its recommendation for the Transrapid route alignment between Berlin and Hamburg. This alignment, chosen from 13 alternatives (including the alignment used for the financing concept), will be the preferred alignment for the public legal planning process. The selection was based on a detailed investigation of all route alternatives including alignment difficulties, environmental impact, city entrances/exits, station locations, ridership, investment/operating costs, and revenue potential.

The preferred alignment consists of 292 km of double track (55% at-grade, 45% elevated), 5 stations, and 11 propulsion system substations. A one hour trip time (with intermediate stops), a maximum revenue speed of 450 km/h, and ridership volume 23% higher than the original financing concept route are anticipated. With the preferred alignment, the preliminary planning phase is completed (map scale 1:25 000).

The German Parliament overwhelmingly passes the General Maglev Systems Law and the Maglev Systems Requirements Law, the second and third pieces of legislation required to implement the Transrapid Project Berlin-Hamburg. The General law covers the operating and safety regulations for maglev systems as well as the regulating authorities and the Requirements law defines the necessity of the maglev system for the route, the premises upon which the decision was based, and the procedures for the public legal planning process at the town and county level.

Thyssen presents a full size model of the newest Transrapid generation at the Hannover Fair. The Transrapid 08, a 3-section, passenger train similar to those foreseen for the Berlin-Hamburg route, will be built on pre-production tooling in the Thyssen Transrapid System GmbH plant in Kassel. It will commence operation at the Test Facility in Emsland in 1999 and be used to achieve the type approval certification required for the Berlin-Hamburg Project. Designed for 550 km/h operation, the new train will be lighter, more aerodynamic, quieter, and more economical than its predecessor, the Transrapid 07.

German Transport Minister Wissmann announces that the first of the two project economic viability evaluations has successfully been completed and that the government fully supports the continuation of the project. Included in the evaluation were new ridership/revenue estimates as well as revised investment and operating cost estimates based on the preferred alignment and the current project layout and planning.

To compensate for lower ridership and revenue figures, the operations concept for the route is revised and the initial delivery contents downsized to reflect the lower figures. At the same time, a marginal rise in the investment costs reflect the longer preferred alignment, the current planning level, and the updating of project costs from 1993 to 1996 DM. Overall, the investment costs now total DM 9.983 billion with DM 6.269 billion for the guideway infrastructure and DM 3.713 billion for the trains, propulsion/energy supply, and supporting equipment and facilities. A restructuring of the original 1993 public/private financing concept is required before the German Government pledges its continued political and financial support.

In this restructuring, Adtranz, Siemens, and Thyssen continue as equity partners in the financing consortium and Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) replaces the three construction companies previously involved in the project. In addition to its original role as operator of the Berlin-Hamburg route, DB AG will also serve as general contractor for the guideway infrastructure and stations. The Government will continue to finance the guideway infrastructure with an interest-free loan to DB AG. A private financing consortium with Adtranz, Siemens, and Thyssen as main partners will fund the remainder of the project. The public and private investors will be reimbursed for their contributions by DB AG over the course of the financing period.

With the submittals of the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, the Regional Planning Process phase (ROV) is officially completed. Together with the reports of the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (January), Hamburg (March), and Schleswig-Holstein (April), the planning now enters the Concept Design Planning phase (REP: Rahmenentwurfsplanung). In this phase, the planning documents will be scrutinized internally by the authorities for technical and economic issues.

The German Parliament passes the Maglev Systems Ordinance which defines the requirements for the construction and operation of maglev systems as well as designates the Federal Railway Administration (Eisenbahn Bundesamt) responsible for overseeing and certifying the required activities. Divided into three parts, the law includes ordinances for construction and operation, for noise protection standards, and for noise protection measures. With passage of this law, the legal framework required for the realization of Transrapid routes in Germany is completed.

Transrapid International GmbH & Co. KG (TRI) is formed in Berlin as a joint company of Adtranz, Siemens, and Thyssen. TRI will be the primary customer contact and provide system engineering, project management, marketing, and maintenance support services for the Transrapid Maglev System.

The Concept Design Planning phase (REP) for the first route segments is completed and they move into the last planning phase, the Plan Determination Process phase (PF: Planfeststellungsverfahren, map scale 1:1 000). All planning segments are expected to enter this final phase by the end of the year. Only after completion of this phase can construction permits be granted for a given segment.

The ground breaking ceremony for the new Lehrter Train Station occurs in Berlin. This multi-modal station will serve as the end station for the Transrapid in Berlin as well as being a hub for ICE, regional, and suburban (S-Bahn) trains.

The newly-elected "Red – Green" coalition Government officially pledges its commitment to the Transrapid technology and the Berlin-Hamburg Project. This commitment reaffirms the original commitments as defined in the "Key Points Paper" signed by the project partners in April 1997. In this agreement, each side committed to financing their portion of the costs - DM 6.1 billion from the Government for the infrastructure (via DB AG) and DM 3.7 billion from the private sector partners for the operating system (supporting equipment and trains).

TRI forms Transrapid International-USA (TRI-USA), a wholly-owned subsidiary in the United States. Based in Washington DC, TRI-USA will be the local partner for all projects involving Transrapid technology in the US. Its primary activities will include marketing, government relations, and project and planning support. The formation of this subsidiary reflects the growing interest in the US to realize transportation projects using the Transrapid technology, as demonstrated by the inclusion of the Maglev Deployment Program in the 1998 TEA-21 infrastructure law.

The Berlin-Hamburg Project contract negotiations between the German Federal Government, DB AG, and TRI resume (they were broken off in Summer 1998 due to the upcoming federal election). These contracts will regulate all aspects of the procurement, construction, operation, and financing of the project (including guarantees, responsibilities, risk assessment, etc.). In preparation for these negotiations, all investment, operating, and maintenance costs are updated to reflect the changes in the project since the last economic viability evaluation (1997). The signing of these contracts will clear the way for construction to begin in the year 2000.

Installation of new equipment at the Transrapid Test Facility continues. These improvements will support the final type approval certifications required for the Berlin-Hamburg Project. These include a second propulsion system substation in the northern loop, an upgrading of the operation control system with new equipment, antennas along the route and software, and improved guideway switch control equipment.

Commissioning begins on a new 3-way guideway switch at the Thyssen Transrapid System plant in Kassel. This 78 m long, low speed switch with 100 km/h turn-out speed, utilizes a flexible, steel guideway beam with rack and pinion drives. Designed to access three different tracks, it will be used extensively in the Berlin-Hamburg Project. It will undergo approx. 6 months of controlled-environment testing in Kassel in preparation for the type approval certification work.

The Transrapid 08 (TR08) is delivered to the Transrapid Test Facility. This 3 section, pre-production, Berlin-Hamburg train is 79.70 m long, weighs 188.50 t, and has first and second class seating for 190+ passengers. Designed for 550 km/h operation, the TR08 carries Deutsche Bahn colors and has all of the amenities found on a modern high speed train (including toilets, overhead baggage racks, and pressure-sealed passenger compartments). Commissioning of the TR08 is completed in late Fall 1999. The TR08 has been built primarily for the type approval certification work for the Berlin-Hamburg Project as well as being an attraction for the World Expo 2000 Exhibition in Hannover in Summer 2000.

On 10. August, a new hybrid (concrete/steel) beam is installed into the canal (straight) portion of the Test Facility. This new combination concrete and steel beam resulted from the Berlin-Hamburg guideway bidding process and holds promise of becoming the third beam type available for project use (after pure steel and pure concrete). The 62 m long, double span beam weighs approx. 350 t and has a pre-stressed, post-tensioned, reinforced concrete body and bolted-on, steel cantilever areas (functional surfaces). It will undergo extensive testing during Fall 1999 with the ultimate goal of type approval certification in the year 2000.

The plan determination process record of decision for the first planning segment of the Berlin-Hamburg route is released (required for the approval of construction permits).

On 5  February, German Government, Deutsche Bahn AG, and the industrial partners sign an Agreement to cancel the Berlin-Hamburg Project. The decision to cancel the project came after months of negotiations between the partners and numerous attempts to improve the project’s financial viability did not bring the desired effect. The cancellation was ultimately due to the lack of political will and to difficulties in the financing of the publicly-financed portion of the project. At the time of cancellation, the project was less than 6 months away from start of construction. Revenue service was planned to begin in 2006.

During the Spring, an intensive search begins to identify regional transportation projects appropriate for the Transrapid technology and to determine their viability. Five projects are identified and feasibility studies are conducted:

The City of Shanghai and Transrapid International sign an agreement for a joint feasibility study to be conducted for the route between the new Pudong International Airport and downtown Shanghai.

The Chinese Prime Minister, Zhu Rongji, the Mayor of Shanghai, Xu Kuangdi, and a VIP delegation are hosted by the German Minister of Transport, Reinhard Klimmt at the Transrapid Test Facility and ride the Transrapid 08 at 400 km/h (250 mph).

Between June and October, the Transrapid Test Facility is a satellite exhibition center for the World Expo 2000 in Hannover. The Transrapid 08 carries 67 000 paying passengers on 566 trips, traveling a total of 43 600 km (27 100 miles).

In July, the total Transrapid „mileage" at the Test Facility in Emsland surpasses the 700 000 km (435 000 miles) mark. The number of paying passengers now totals over 250 000.

An Agreement is signed by the German Government, Deutsche Bahn, and the industrial partners for the retention and optimization of the Transrapid technology for use in a future application. This agreement commits Government funding for personnel, technology work related to regional applications, and the Test Facility for two years until a new revenue application is approved in Germany.

The German Minister of Transport, Reinhard Klimmt and the US Secretary of Transportation, Rodney Slater sign a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) for the Transrapid maglev technology. The intent of the MOC is to foster cooperation between the two countries on safety and environmental standards for the operation of the Transrapid maglev system and an information and experience exchange to facilitate the near-term implementation of the Transrapid in revenue operation in both countries. The MOC provides additional support for the US Maglev Deployment Program. This program, created in 1998 by the US Congress, budgets one billion dollars for the planning and construction of one or more maglev projects. The Transrapid technology is foreseen for six of the seven projects currently in planning.

The US Secretary of Transportation, Rodney Slater announces that the Baltimore-Washington and Pennsylvania Projects have been selected for the next planning/engineering phase ("short list"). Each project will receive approx. US$10.5 million to complete the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and preliminary engineering work foreseen in this two year phase.

The construction contract for the world’s first commercial high-speed maglev route, the Shanghai Airport Link is signed. The 30 km (19 miles), double track route extends from a subway station on the East side of Shanghai to the Pudong International Airport. Construction will begin in February with demonstration operation foreseen in January 2003 and commercial operation foreseen in early 2004. The project partners are the City of Shanghai and the German industrial consortium consisting of Siemens, ThyssenKrupp, and Transrapid International. The Chinese will supply the guideway infrastructure, stations, and operating facilities and the German industrial consortium will supply the Transrapid maglev technology (vehicles, propulsion, operation control system, and individual guideway components).

The German Government releases preliminary planning contracts for the NRW Metrorapid and Munich Airport Link Projects.

The total Transrapid "mileage" at the Test Facility in Emsland surpasses the 728 000 km (450 000 miles) mark. The number of paying passengers now totals over 330 000.

Construction begins in Shanghai on the construction road along the route.

Construction begins in Shanghai on the guideway beam factory located mid-way along the route. This 1.8 km (1.1 mile) long factory will produce approx. 2600 hybrid guideway beams with a rate of 10 beams/day over the one year production period. Approx. 1700 workers will be employed on 16 production lines. The first production prototype beam is foreseen for July.