Made in Chengdu: 400MPH Maglev Train
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China has revealed a prototype for a new high-speed Maglev train that is capable of reaching speeds of 620 kilometers (385 miles) per hour.
The train runs on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power that makes it look as if the train is floating along the magnetized tracks.
Prototype unveiled in Chengdu
A shortened version of the high-speed “maglev” train, consisting of just one 21-meter-long (69 feet) prototype carriage, was unveiled to media in Chengdu, on January 13. In addition, university researchers constructed 165 meters (541 feet) of track to demonstrate how the train would look and feel in transit, according to state-run Xinhua News.
With an investment of 60 million yuan ($9.3 million), the project was jointly developed by Southwest Jiaotong University, China Railway Group Limited and CRRC Corporation Limited. The train has no wheels and instead uses magnets which allow it to “hover” just above the track, resulting in frictionless, faster travel. At the launch ceremony, the train was seen floating slowly along the track. Magnets are also used to propel the train – opposite poles attract and pull it forward, while the same poles repel and push the train.
The train is designed to travel at 385mph – a speed which would equate to the London-Paris journey taking just over 47 minutes – but scientists think speeds could, at some point, reach 497mph.
Check out the prototype video
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Its commissioning will take 3-10 years
Professor He Chuan (vice president of Southwest Jiaotong University, which worked on the prototype) told reporters that the train could be "operational" within 3-10 years. He added: "Sichuan has rich rare earth resources, which is very beneficial to our construction of permanent magnet tracks, thus promoting the faster development of experiments."
It’s also designed to be driverless, capable of self-directing and self-stabilising. The sleek design includes a smooth, curved nose, finely tuned to be as aerodynamic as possible, while inside the carriage a communal area with sofas was on display alongside more regular seats.
Wu Zili, a senior engineer at Southwest Jiaotong University, said the HTS train “doesn’t need any extra energy to keep itself in suspension”, which makes it “energy efficient”, reports the Scottish Sun.
China’s maglev train a ‘breakthrough’?
The debut of the ‘floating’ train is being hailed as a “zero-to-one” breakthrough in the development of HTS technology in China, CGTN reports. Although the prototype was revealed to much fanfare, it has yet to complete a full journey; it could be some time before the finished product is ready. The plan is for the technology to eventually be used for a high-speed rail link between Chengdu and Chongqing. If successful, it would halve the journey time between the two cities to just half an hour, according to local media.
It follows the launch of a driverless train capable of travelling at 215mph in China this time last year. The service connects Beijing with Zhangjiakou, two of the main host cities of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It slashed the journey time from three hours to just 47 minutes.
Part of China's high-speed rail network plan
China is home to the world's largest high-speed rail network, which stretches over 37,000 kilometers, and the fastest commercially operating train -- the Shanghai maglev.
The new maglev train is part of China's plan to create faster links between its cities. The country's first high-speed Maglev train, it began operating in 2003. Running at a top speed of 431 kph, the train links Shanghai Pudong Airport and Longyang Road in the eastern side of Shanghai.
Images: 成都科技，看点快报
Sources: CNN, independent.co.uk
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