Emsland test facility 2.09

The Emsland Transrapid Test Facility is a testing site for Transrapid maglev trains in Emsland, Germany. The single track line runs between Dörpen and Lathen. Turning loops are at each end. The track is elevated for almost its entire length to allow continued farming and grazing of the land occupied.Until the 2006 Lathen maglev train accident, the trains often carried paying passengers, possibly to "show off" the maglev. They regularly ran at up to 420 km/h. All runs, including those with passengers, were fully monitored, with the last car in the three car trains filled with monitoring computers and engineers.Construction of the facility began in 1980 and was completed in 1984.In 2006, 23 people were killed in the Lathen maglev train accident on the track, involving a Transrapid passenger train and a maintenance vehicle. The accident was discovered to have been caused by human failure in implementing safety and checking protocols.At the end of 2011, the operation license has expired, and the test track was closed.In early 2012, the demolition and reconversion of all the Emsland site, including the tracks and factory, was approved.