Tests of the new high-speed train have been carried out in China, according to data from developer CASIC, the Global Times reported on August 6.
China’s project to create an ultra-high-speed vacuum tube transportation system, also known as a “high-speed flying train,” with a maximum travel speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour, has completed testing of a comprehensive demonstration of the system, showing that a full-size test line has reached acceptance conditions.
Project officials said the test improved the overall technical maturity of the system, laying a solid technical foundation for the upcoming test, Science and Technology Daily reported Monday.
The demonstration was carried out in a low-vacuum tube with a total length of 2 kilometers, which is the first stage of the project. The performance and test results met the specified parameters, including maglev and brake travel, maximum vehicle speed and maglev height, indicating the successful completion of the tests.
The “high-speed flying train” can be used on commuter routes in megacities. It could cut travel time between Beijing and Shanghai by up to 90 minutes, he said.
The successful test shows concrete progress in the development of China’s bullet train, said Sun Zhang, a railway expert at Shanghai’s Tongji University. Before the train becomes a mainstream public transport system, Zhang said, a long safety review process is needed.
The full-scale test line was jointly built by the government of Shanxi Province in northern China and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and is located in Yangao, near Datong. Construction began in April 2022 and was completed in November 2023. The project combines aerospace and land-based rail technologies and envisages the creation of trains with a maximum speed of 1,000 kilometres per hour.
The concept of a low-pressure tube transportation system was proposed in 2013 by Elon Musk, who called it Hyperloop, but his company that developed the system, Hyperloop One, shut down in late 2023, Reuters reports.
The official website of British company Virgin indicates that its Virgin Hyperloop completed its first successful test with passengers in 2020.
Analysts say it is difficult to predict which country will be the first to operate high-speed maglev trains, but the most practical place to make such systems profitable is China, which has a huge population and a strong rail base.
According to official data, by the end of 2023, the length of China’s railways in commercial operation had reached 159,000 kilometers, of which more than 45,000 kilometers were high-speed lines.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.