A maglev train capable of reaching speeds of 600 km/h has rolled off the production line in Qingdao. The train was developed in China and is the fastest in the world. However, it will still take a few years before it can make its first test ride between cities as there are no tracks yet adapted to this new train. According to the Global Times, this is another crucial milestone in the country's rapid rise as a global leader in high-speed rail technology and manufacturing and in its broad, ambitious goals to accelerate urbanization. The maglev train can fill the gap between current high-speed trains that run at around 350 km/h and airplanes with a speed of 800 km/h. The maglev train is currently the fastest available ground vehicle. What is currently a 10-hour high-speed train trip from Shenzhen to Shanghai will be shortened to only 2.5 hours once the maglev train is put into service.
A number of technological breakthroughs were made building this train, including a brake system that is 30% more efficient than on current trains, which means that the braking distance is reduced from about 16 kilometers to 10 kilometers, the CRRC Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock Research Institute (CRRC SRI) told the Global Times. The CRRC SRI has designed the braking system, coupler, anti-vibration system, electricity system, passenger information system (PIS) and other core components of the 600 km/h maglev train. Its power supply system is one of the key systems of the high-speed maglev train. When the speed exceeds 100 km/h, a non-contact power supply is adopted. The train receiver system developed by CRRC SRI has good environmental adaptability and can work smoothly from -25ºC to 45ºC. Researchers developed an articulated coupler for the train by using forged aluminum alloys as the key structural part, ensuring that the relative motion between the train cars is less than one millimeter. The maglev train has two to 10 cars, each capable of accommodating more than 100 passengers.
Shanghai is the only Chinese city operating a commercial high-speed maglev line, with a top speed of 430 km/h. The Shanghai maglev train using German technology has been in operation since 2003, linking Pudong airport with a Shanghai Metro terminal. By the end of 2020, the total length of China's railways was 146,300 kilometers, with the total mileage of the high-speed railway network at 38,000 kilometers. China aims to build 200,000 kilometers of railways and 460,000 kilometers of highways by 2035. The “National 123” transportation plan aims to realize a one-hour commute within the city, two-hour trip between city clusters and three-hour travel to major cities nationwide, the Global Times reports.
