China has unveiled a prototype for a new high-speed Maglev train, which is capable of reaching speeds as high as 620 kilometres per hour. The prototype was revealed to the media in Chengdu, Sichuan Province on January 13.
The high-speed train could be operational in 3-10 years. Picture: Twitter
The 21-metre long train runs on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power, which makes it appear as if it is floating on the magnetised 165-metre tracks.
Speaking at the unveiling, Professor He Chuan, vice president of Southwest Jiaotong University, told reporters that the train could be operational within three to 10 years.
‘Sichuan has rich rare earth resources, which is very beneficial to our construction of permanent magnet tracks, thus promoting the faster development of experiments,’ he added.
A possible interior for the train. Picture: Twitter
China continues to pave the way with high-speed train technology. It is already home to the Shanghai maglev, which at 37 000 kilometres is the world’s largest high-speed rail network and the fastest commercially operating train.
In 2020, the country also unveiled a new 174-kilometre high-speed railway line connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the 2022 Winter Olympics host city.
In early January 2021, the country also debuted the CR400AF-G, a bullet train specifically designed to withstand temperatures as cold as -40C degrees Celsius.
