California Ports to Study Magnetic Trains to Carry Freight

os Angeles-area port officials are planning to study whether magnetic levitation trains could be used to ferry cargo containers moving through the nation’s largest port complex, the Associated Press reported.

The so-called "maglev" trains are seen as a possible way to ease traffic congestion and cut down on air pollution near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, AP said.

Researchers at California State University, Long Beach, are studying three proposals for using maglev trains to move cargo, and the Southern California Association of Governments and officials at the two ports are planning to launch their own studies in coming months, AP reported.

Two maglev train systems transporting passengers are operating in China and Japan but no one has yet to adapt the maglevs to carry freight, AP said.

General Atomics in San Diego is developing a system for cargo containers, AP reported.

Among the maglev projects being studied is a 4.7-mile system between the Port of Los Angeles and the proposed Southern California International Gateway, a rail terminal to the north, AP said.

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