A project in China involving an ultra-high-speed low-vacuum tube maglev transport system, also known as the “high-speed levitating train,” with a maximum travel speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour, has completed a test for the system’s integrated demonstration, indicating that the full-sized test line has achieved the necessary conditions for its acceptance.
Successful test completion
According to representatives from the project, this test has improved the overall technical maturity of the system, laying a solid technical foundation for the next phase of testing.
The demonstration was conducted in a low-vacuum tube with a total length of 2 kilometers, which represents the first phase of the project. The test performance and results were in line with predetermined figures, including magnetic suspension travel and brakes, maximum travel speed, and the magnetic suspension height of the vehicle, marking the successful completion of the test.
Potential applications and benefits
The “high-speed levitating train” may be deployed on commuter routes in mega-city clusters. It could potentially shorten the travel time between Beijing and Shanghai to as little as 90 minutes, according to the report.
The successful test indicated the concrete progress in the development of China’s ultra-high-speed rail system, said Sun Zhang, a railway expert at Shanghai Tongji University. However, long-term safety verification work needs to be implemented before it becomes a commonly used public transport system, Zhang added.
The full-sized test line was co-built by the government of North China’s Shanxi Province and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, and it is located in Yanggao, under Datong. Construction started in April 2022 and was completed in November 2023. The project combines aerospace technology and ground rail transportation technology, aiming to create trains with a top speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour.
Read more: China broils under record-breaking temperatures, data reveals hottest July since 1961
Hyperloop concept
The concept of a transportation system in a low-pressure tube was originally proposed in 2013 by Elon Musk, who called it Hyperloop, but his company focusing on developing the system – Hyperloop One – was shut down at the end of 2023, as reported by Reuters.
The official website of U.K.-based Virgin showed that its Virgin Hyperloop made its first successful passenger test in 2020.
Prospects and challenges
Analysts suggest that it is hard to predict which country will be the first to operate a high-speed maglev train, but it may be more practical to make such systems profitable in China, which has a huge population and a solid foundation in rail transport. As of the end of 2023, the length of China’s railways in commercial operation reached 159,000 kilometers, with more than 45,000 km of the total being high-speed lines, according to official data.
For more miscellaneous news, click here.
