[DE] Bögl receives permission to operate maglevs in Germany
Posted: 8. Dec 2025, 12:33
Max Bögl receives permission to operate maglev trains in Germany
The German Federal Railway Authority (EBA) has granted a license to TSB Betriebs, a subsidiary of the German construction company Max Bögl, to develop and implement a new transport system.
The TSB project, which started in 2010, is designed to be cost-effective, with construction costs starting at €20 million per kilometer. The system focuses on short-distance travel, with operational speeds of up to 150 km/h. Unlike most similar technologies, the TSB maglev system features a stator on the vehicle itself rather than the infrastructure. It is powered by a 750V DC third rail.
The rolling stock prototypes are built by HeiterBlick. These driverless trains consist of two to six carriages, each 12 meters long, with a total weight of 18.5 tons and a passenger capacity of 127. The trains are designed to handle gradients of up to 10% and curves with a radius of 45 meters. TSB is also exploring the use of the maglev technology for freight transport.
TSB Betriebs operates an 820-meter test track in Sengenthal, Germany, and a 3.5 km demonstration track in Chengdu, China, where two world records for medium- and low-speed maglev lines were set (169 km/h in 2021 and 181 km/h in 2024). Additionally, the company has plans to develop maglev lines in cities like Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Nuremberg, although none of these projects have been approved yet.
TSB is also collaborating with the Chinese company Xinzhu to produce maglev trains for China.
. . Two-car maglev for the TSB project. Source: Max Bögl
Info based on: https://rollingstockworld.com/passenger ... n-germany/ Accessed 2025-12-08
The German Federal Railway Authority (EBA) has granted a license to TSB Betriebs, a subsidiary of the German construction company Max Bögl, to develop and implement a new transport system.
The TSB project, which started in 2010, is designed to be cost-effective, with construction costs starting at €20 million per kilometer. The system focuses on short-distance travel, with operational speeds of up to 150 km/h. Unlike most similar technologies, the TSB maglev system features a stator on the vehicle itself rather than the infrastructure. It is powered by a 750V DC third rail.
The rolling stock prototypes are built by HeiterBlick. These driverless trains consist of two to six carriages, each 12 meters long, with a total weight of 18.5 tons and a passenger capacity of 127. The trains are designed to handle gradients of up to 10% and curves with a radius of 45 meters. TSB is also exploring the use of the maglev technology for freight transport.
TSB Betriebs operates an 820-meter test track in Sengenthal, Germany, and a 3.5 km demonstration track in Chengdu, China, where two world records for medium- and low-speed maglev lines were set (169 km/h in 2021 and 181 km/h in 2024). Additionally, the company has plans to develop maglev lines in cities like Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Nuremberg, although none of these projects have been approved yet.
TSB is also collaborating with the Chinese company Xinzhu to produce maglev trains for China.
. . Two-car maglev for the TSB project. Source: Max Bögl
Info based on: https://rollingstockworld.com/passenger ... n-germany/ Accessed 2025-12-08