Although Maglev has been technically developed in a variety of forms, and has had some limitedudoperational success, the dream envisaged in the 1960s and 1970s of wide-scale commercialudimplementation remains elusive. This paper provides a technical and historical appraisal, starting withudthe expected features believed in the early days to characterise Maglev, and reviews the actualudachievements against these expectations, i.e. to assess the progress towards the original dream and itsudviability. The conclusion includes a commentary on the present day opportunities and barriers, andudoffers some suggestions for emphasis into the future. The objective is to stimulate a discussion aimedudat helping to understand why the dream remains largely unfulfilled.
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