A new high-speed maglev train capable of reaching speeds of up to 600 km/h has become one step closer to reality in China.
On Thursday, it was announced the completion of assembly of a prototype maglev vehicle at a facility in Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shandong province.
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 change China's tourism landscape by bridging the gap between high-speed rail and air travel.
βTake the trip from Beijing to Shanghai as an example. Taking into account preparation time, the flight by plane will take about 4,5 hours, about 5,5 hours by high-speed rail, and about 3,5 hours by the [new] high-speed maglev,β he said in a statement. CRRC Deputy Chief Engineer Ding Sansan, head of the maglev train development team.
While the aircraft cruising speed is 800-900 km/h, the maximum operating speed of trains on the Beijing-Shanghai route is currently 350 km/h.
It should be noted that China's new prototype maglev train will not be the first train to break the 600 kph mark when it is sent to the test site.
In 2015, the maglev of the Japanese company Central Japan Railway 603 km/h on the Yamanashi test line, setting a new world record.
Source: 3dnews.ru