Beijing to Shanghai in 2.5 Hours... "Maglev Train Operation Within 10 Years"

Accelerating as a 'Transport Power'... Still in Demonstration Stage Due to Infrastructure Shortcomings

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 20th that a maglev train reaching speeds of 600 km/h will begin operation within 10 years in China.

According to the report, Chinese locomotive developer CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd. held a train system unveiling event in Qingdao on the same day and announced this plan.

CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive stated, "The maglev train traveling at 600 km/h is the fastest land transportation in the world" and described it as "a cutting-edge scientific and technological achievement in the global rail transit sector."

The maglev train operates by utilizing electromagnetic repulsion between the train and the track, resulting in less friction resistance, faster speeds compared to high-speed rail, and reduced noise pollution.

In fact, traveling from Beijing to Shanghai takes 5.5 hours by existing high-speed rail and 2 hours by airplane, whereas the maglev train can make the trip in 2.5 hours.

The Chinese authorities launched this project in 2016 with the goal of creating a 3-hour travel zone between major cities and have devoted five years to research and development.

According to local media such as CCTV, infrastructure like tracks suitable for maglev trains is still insufficient within China.

Since 2003, a maglev train with a top speed of 431 km/h, based on German technology, has been operating on a route connecting major airports in Shanghai, but due to high costs and accessibility issues, ridership remains very low.

China is currently constructing maglev train lines between some cities, and demonstration stages are underway for routes connecting Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in Washington, DC, estimated that the construction cost for maglev trains, which cannot use existing high-speed rail tracks, would be 1.5 times higher than that of conventional high-speed rail for commercialization.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.