The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), the state-owned aerospace contractor that makes everything from rockets to satellites, claims to have surpassed its previous record of 623 kilometers per hour (387miles per hour) during tests in a low-vacuum tube just 2 km long. According to state media, it’s a significant step in developing an ultra-high-speed maglev train that could cut commute times to cities like Shanghai and Beijing by a staggering three hours or more.
A ‘flying train’ would consist of passenger pods that accelerate gradually via electric propulsion, then glide above the ground at airline speeds for long distances due to ultra-low aerodynamic drag. The contractor aims to reach speeds of around 2,485 mph (4,000km/h) — four times as fast as commercial airliners and three times as fast as the sound of a jet engine.
The new test, conducted in Datong in north-eastern China, took place on a full-scale 2km (1.2 miles) section of the test line built to demonstrate the maglev technology. The company says that critical components — including superconducting magnets, high-power electric systems, artificial intelligence safety controls, and wireless communication devices — all worked as expected at higher speeds, paving the way for further testing. The company also said it had succeeded in maintaining a vacuum state for extended periods, an important step that will help it develop the ultra-high-speed maglev trains needed to achieve these astronomical speeds.
Maintaining a vacuum at such high speeds is incredibly difficult and requires complex engineering. A full-scale 1km (0.6 mile) stretch of the Datong test line is expected to open this year and provide a more realistic environment for future tests. It will feature a lower and upper structure in an “n” and “u” shape that supports “nu” shaped tubular beams nearly 6 meters (20ft) wide and 21 meters (69ft) long. The precision required for the concrete surfaces that support this equipment – with a tolerance of fewer than 0.3 millimeters in flatness – is incredibly demanding and highlights the complexity of creating a system that can operate at such high speeds.
Maglev trains are considered the future’s transportation, but they’re more expensive than traditional trains and require complicated infrastructure to build. They also rely on magnetic levitation to function, making them more challenging to build than other forms of transport because the technology creates an environment highly sensitive to even slight amounts of air resistance.
China has one maglev line connecting Shanghai’s Pudong airport with the city center. The 30-km (19-mile) journey takes seven minutes to complete and is a world leader in high-speed rail travel. Several new lines are in the works, including one connecting Shanghai with Hangzhou. It could cut the commute between the two cities to 15 minutes from next month.
