Opening on 16th August 1984 the Birmingham (UK) airport Maglev people-mover was a global innovation by being the first public transport installation (in the present era) to use magnetic levitation. Linking Birmingham International Railway Station with Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) it used two 'cabin' sized vehicles which featured electromagnets at each corner (to provide the lift) and linear induction motors (for propulsion).
The trains "flew" at an altitude of 0.6" (15mm), carried up to 40 passengers (plus luggage) and with a maximum speed of 26mph (42km/h) the approximately 2000' (620 metre) journey lasted for about 90 seconds.
Maglev technology uses powerful electro-magnets so that the transports float along the track on a cushion of air. This reduces friction, gives a very smooth quality of ride and makes such vehicles relatively quiet. Magnetics are also used for propulsion and braking.
The advantage of this technology over conventional steel wheel technologies is that there are massive savings in maintenance and there is the possibility of full 24-hour service - conventional railway tracks must have every stretch inspected every 72 hours (or even more frequently) and as this involves railway staff walking along the tracks it requires the lines to be closed to moving trains. This is usually done at night - and partly explains why conventional railways cannot offer 24 hours / all-night services. Maglev does not have this issue, as the system should only need periodic maintenance shutdowns - although most travellers and safety officials would probably feel happier if (at a minimum) this was done on a weekly basis.
In addition to meeting a real transport need this 'showpiece' installation was intended as a working demonstration of the new technology of magnetic levitation. However no further systems were built using the same technology and with the Birmingham installation working reasonably well so no need was seen to keep it up to date with newer technologies as they became available. Advocates of magnetic levitation technology suggest that especially the latter was another reason for the system's ultimate demise.
In the end it became a victim of its own success - because it had been so dependable, for so long, that when it finally needed spare parts there was no replacement parts industry. Furthermore its electronics had by then become several generations behind the times (isn't it just amazing that something so technologically advanced as a maglev can become 'old fashioned' so soon!). Closure came on the 19th June 1995.