A new super-fast maglev train capable of reaching speeds of up to 600 km/h has come one step closer to reality in China.
On Thursday, it was announced that the assembly of a prototype magnetic levitation vehicle in Qingdao, a port city in Shandong province in eastern China, has been completed.
Created by the state-owned China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), the world's largest supplier of rail transit equipment, the maglev train is expected to enter commercial production in 2021 after extensive testing.
Project participants are optimistic about the future of the new maglev train, believing it will completely transform the tourism landscape in China by bridging the gap between high-speed rail and air transport.
"Take, for example, the trip from Beijing to Shanghai. Considering preparation time, flying will take about 4.5 hours, traveling by high-speed rail will take about 5.5 hours, and the journey on the [new] high-speed maglev will take about 3.5 hours," noted Ding Sansan, deputy chief engineer of CRRC and head of the maglev train development team, in his statement.
While the cruising speed of an aircraft ranges from 800 to 900 km/h, the maximum operating speed of trains on the Beijing-Shanghai route is currently 350 km/h.
It is worth noting that the new Chinese maglev train prototype will not be the first train to surpass the 600 km/h mark when it is sent to the testing ground.
In 2015, a maglev train by Central Japan Railway 603 km/h on a test line in Yamanashi, setting a new world record.
Source: 3dnews.ru
