The Chinese railway company plans to develop a prototype magnetic levitation train capable of evolving at 600 km / h. This “Maglev” could slide over the rails by 2021.
In China, the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) plans to launch a prototype train capable of traveling at more than 600 km / h by 2021. Although the company has not clearly defined its intentions, it suggests that the objective would be to rally Shanghai to Beijing, about 1,300 km in 3 hours 30 minutes.
To reach this speed, the train does not roll but slides over the rails thanks to the principle of magnetic levitation. As for the Hyperloop, it is the absence of rolling resistance that allows reaching these high speeds.
The type of train in question bears the name of Maglev, that is to say, the acronym for Magnetic levitation. For the moment, China has not given details on the magnetic levitation technology it intends to use for its prototype.
From China or Japan, who will be the fastest?
In any case, it is not a novelty. Several trains of this type already exist, and a regular line has been in service in China since 2004. It allows us to travel the 30 km that separate the Shanghai airport to the city center. Its top speed is 431 Km / h.
In this area, the most advanced is Japanese. In 2015, their prototype, called JR-Maglev had exceeded 600 km / h for 11 seconds. By 2027, their train is expected to cover the 286 km between Tokyo and Nagoya in less than 40 minutes. There remains the cost of the lines. It could rise to 150 million euros per kilometer. Far from the price of a TGV line, for which the speed record was set at 574.8 km / h on April 3, 2007.