public transportation

China unveils 600-km/h maglev train

Reuters

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China unveils 600-km/h maglev train

UNVEILING. A high-speed maglev train, capable of a top speed of 600 km/h, is pictured in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, July 20, 2021.

CNS/Reuters

The maximum speed would make the train the fastest ground vehicle globally

China unveiled a maglev train capable of a top speed of 600 kilometers per hour (km/h) on Tuesday, July 20, state media said.

The maximum speed would make the train, self-developed by China and manufactured in the coastal city of Qingdao, the fastest ground vehicle globally.

Using electromagnetic force, the maglev train “levitates” above the track with no contact between body and rail.

China has been using the technology for almost two decades on a very limited scale. Shanghai has a short maglev line running from one of its airports to town.

While there are no inter-city or inter-province maglev lines yet in China that could make good use of the higher speeds, some cities including Shanghai and Chengdu have started to conduct research.

At 600 km/h, it would only take 2.5 hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai by train – a journey of more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).

By comparison, the journey would take 3 hours by plane and 5.5 hours by high-speed rail.

Countries from Japan to Germany are also looking to build maglev networks, although high costs and incompatibility with current track infrastructure remain hurdles to rapid development. – Rappler.com

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