China's 600 km/h high-speed maglev completes successful trial run
Updated 22:41, 22-Jun-2020
China is getting a step closer to bring more air travelers down to earth.
A high-speed maglev test vehicle, with a speed of 600 km/h, successfully conducted its maiden test run on a maglev line at Tongji University in Shanghai on Sunday, marking a new important breakthrough in China's high-speed maglev development.
The average air travel speed of jet passenger planes is 800km/h, while that of conventional bullet trains in China is around 300km/h. Researchers expect the 600 km/h maglev train to fill the gap between the two and help to establish a more reasonable, efficient and flexible transport network to meet the travel needs of different groups.
What's the test about?
Sunday's trial is the first dynamic operation of the prototype on the maglev test track, marking a major step forward from its static trials.
The test run obtained a large amount of crucial data and proved the key performance of the high-speed maglev system, providing technical support for the development and optimization of the follow-up high-speed maglev project test vehicle.
"During the multi-condition test, the vehicle showed stable suspension guidance and a sound operation state. All key technical indicators met the design requirements and expectations," said Ding Sansan, head of the research and development team and deputy chief engineer of CRRC Qingdao Sifang.
When will it be put into commercial operation?
By the end of 2020, a whole engineering system of the 600 km/h high-speed maglev prototype is expected to be rolled off the production line. That means China will master a whole package of the technology and engineering capability by that time.
The next step is to industrializing the technology. China aims to put a 500-kilometer-long high-speed maglev line into commercial use by 2025.
People in east China's Zhejiang are especially excited about the news, as the Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed maglev train has been included in the planned ten super transport projects in the province in the next few years.
Once completed, Hangzhou citizens will be able to reach Shanghai in 20 minutes.
China's 600 km/h high-speed maglev completes successful trial run - CGTN