China announced plans for two new maglev train routes as part of its vast expansion of high-speed rail travel: one from Shanghai to Hangzhou and one from Guangzhou to…
China unveiled a prototype for a new kind of maglev train on Wednesday with the potential to become the fastest land vehicle on the planet. The launch ceremony was held at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, where the designers presented the train’s locomotive and 165 meters of test track. According to China’s Global Times, the train uses a new high-temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev technology that’s different from existing maglev trains, although both use powerful magnets to hover slightly above the track, reducing friction to practically zero.
