China’s self-developed maglev transportation system, the world’s fastest train with a speed of 600 kilometers per hour (that’s nearly half the speed of sound), rolled off the assembly line in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province. The moment marks a crucial milestone in the country’s swift rise as a global leader in high-speed rail technology and its ambitious goal to accelerate urbanization and establish a modern socialist power.
The maglev train is the fastest available ground vehicle on the planet and fills the gap between the current 350 km/h high-speed train and 800 km/h airplanes. As a result, it shortens the 10-hour high-speed train trip from Shenzhen to Shanghai to only 2.5 hours. Furthermore, it will reinforce the country’s planned 2035 comprehensive transportation network expansion.
China’s network of high-speed railways is the largest in the world, covering 95% of cities with a population surpassing a million. The total length of China’s railways by the end of 2020 was 146,300 kilometers, and the total high-speed railway network was 38,000 kilometers. The country aims to build an additional 200,000 kilometers of railways, 25,000 kilometers of high-level sea lanes, and 460,000 kilometers of highways by 2035, according to the 15-year transport expansion guidelines.
The maglev project began in October 2016. A prototype vehicle was successfully developed in 2019 and made its trial run in June 2020. The developer determined the final technical set in January after system optimization; then, the complete system started a six-month test.
Zhang Xiaoxing, of the School of Architecture at the South China University of Technology, told the Global Times:
“The 600 km/h high-speed maglev transportation system means that the complete set of high-speed maglev train technologies is further mature and closer to the commercial landing. Furthermore, the realization of fully independent and controllable technologies can significantly reduce the cost of technological application and will facilitate large-scale application.”
The maglev train is configurable from two to ten cars, with each able to accommodate over 100 passengers and adaptable to meet different needs.
5G is reserved for the Wi-Fi system during a high-speed run to guarantee smooth telecommunication, and passengers can charge their mobile phones wirelessly.
The new maglev train showcases a self-developed brake system that is 30% more efficient than the Shanghai maglev train, meaning the train will only take 10 km (6.2 miles) to pull up (break) instead of 16 km (10 miles).
The world's first 600 km/h high-speed maglev transportation system, the fastest ground transportation vehicle at present, will be launched in Qingdao, China on July 20, 2021. pic.twitter.com/XDU7PxIoFc
— CRRC Corporation Ltd. (@CRRC_global) July 18, 2021
Indeed, maglev rail is costly and will face an uphill battle to prove its commercial viability.
Zhao Jian, a professor with Beijing Jiaotong University, told the Global Times:
“The maglev lines can earn money only when a network of high-speed transportation is formed, with huge passenger flows.”
But they are less expensive than hyperloop, so companies working on hyperloop-style projects will have to start aiming considerably higher.
