A new super-fast maglev train capable of reaching speeds of up to 600 km/h has moved a step closer to reality in China.
On Thursday, it was announced that the assembly of the prototype of the magnetic levitation vehicle was completed at a plant in Qingdao, a port city in Shandong province in eastern China.
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 look to the future of the new maglev train with optimism, believing it will completely transform China's tourism landscape, narrowing the gap between high-speed rail and air transportation.
“Take, for example, the trip from Beijing to Shanghai. Considering the preparation time, a flight will take about 4.5 hours, a high-speed train journey will take about 5.5 hours, and a trip on the new high-speed maglev will take approximately 3.5 hours,” noted Ding Sansan, the chief engineer of CRRC, and head of the maglev development team, in his statement.
While the cruising speed of an airplane is 800-900 km/h, the maximum operational speed of trains on the Beijing-Shanghai route currently stands at 350 km/h.
It should be noted that the new Chinese maglev train prototype will not be the first train to exceed the 600 km/h mark when it is sent to the testing ground.
In 2015, the maglev train by Japan's Central Japan Railway a speed of 603 km/h on a test line in Yamanashi, setting a new world record.
Forrás: 3dnews.ru
