Chinese researchers show prototype of maglev train that may reach 800 km/h

A 165-meter test track has been opened in China where a new maglev train is being tested. The prototype is designed to reach speeds of up to 620km/h, but researchers say that could potentially be increased to 800km/h.

The test track and prototype of the new maglev train developed by researchers at Southwest Jiaotong University in Sichuan Province. According to the South China Morning Post, the researchers say they are using a technique that is cheaper than existing maglev trains because the superconductivity occurs at a higher temperature and uses liquid nitrogen as a coolant.

Magnetic levitation trains work with superconducting magnets, causing the train to float above the rails. Existing designs for maglev trains, such as those in Japan, use liquid helium to achieve a temperature of -269 degrees Celsius. The new Chinese train works with superconductivity at a ‘high temperature’ of -196 degrees Celsius.

The prototype of the maglev train shown can already float at the start, without having to accelerate first. The researchers say it will take another six years before the technique is commercially viable. The current estimated price for a trajectory based on the Chinese maglev technique is 250 to 300 million yuan per kilometer. That is about 32 to 38 million euros.

China has been using a maglev train since 2002: the Shanghai Transrapid, which connects the Chinese metropolis with the airport located 30.5 kilometers away. This train reaches 430 km/h. There are no long-distance maglev trains in China yet.

Worldwide there are a number of maglev trains operating on short distances. In Japan, work has been going on for years on a connection over a distance of 286 km, between Tokyo and Nagoya. In 2027, that line must be active at a speed of 500 km/h. In a test in 2015, 600 km/h was achieved.