Latest news with #ShaoNan
India.com
6 days ago
- India.com
Delhi to Mumbai in just 2 hours: China builds superfast train which is twice as fast as bullet train, top speed to be..., name is...
Delhi to Mumbai in just 2 hours: China builds superfast train which is twice as fast as bullet train, top speed to be..., name is... India has been waiting a long time for its first bullet train. While many countries are working on high-speed rail projects, China has taken things even further. According to reports, China has built a train that is twice as fast as a regular bullet train. This new train is called the Maglev train, and it can reach a top speed of 600 kilometers per hour. The most interesting part about the Maglev train is that it will not run on tracks like normal trains. Instead, it will float in the air. This happens because of magnetic force, which lifts the train above the tracks and lets it glide forward with very little friction. This is why it can go much faster than bullet trains. The train was recently shown at the 17th Modern Railway Expo in Beijing, China. The train doesn't have wheels and moves using special magnets. This technology is called magnetic propulsion and helps the train beat even the speed of wind! To run this kind of train, China uses special vacuum tubes with magnets. These reduce contact between the train and the track, making the train appear as if it's floating in air. China has already completed the first stage of this project. The train has not started commercial service yet as the testing is still going on. Once ready, it will run between major cities, separate from the regular rail network. Designed to transform city-to-city travel This Maglev train is expected to cover the 1,200 km distance from Beijing to Shanghai in just two hours. Earlier it used to take 5.5 hours. To compare, if such a train were to run in India, it could travel from Delhi to Mumbai in only two hours. That would be a game-changer for transportation! Maglev Train: Clean, Quiet, and Smart The new maglev train is not only super fast it is also clean, quiet, and energy-saving. It runs using a special superconducting magnetic levitation technology which makes the train float above the track without touching it, so there's almost no friction. Because of this, the train makes very little noise, doesn't release harmful gases, and uses less energy than regular trains. When the train goes faster than 150 km/h, it lifts off the track and floats using magnetic power. But at slower speeds, it runs on rubber wheels until it's fast enough to levitate. Shao Nan, a top engineer from CRRC, shared more details. He said the train is fully automatic and it drives itself. It uses 5G signals, AI video analysis, sound sensors, and other smart systems to watch the tracks and surroundings. In China, the Shanghai Maglev is currently the fastest train in commercial operation, reaching 430 km per hour (267 mph) between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Longyang Road station.
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Business Standard
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
China's 600 kmph Maglev train turns 5.5-hour trip into 2.5-hour ride
In a bold leap toward the future of high-speed travel, China has unveiled its fastest ground transport vehicle yet — a sleek maglev train capable of hitting speeds up to 600 kmph, South China Morning Post reported. Revealed at a major rail exhibition in Beijing, the futuristic train reflects China's growing ambition to lead the global high-speed rail revolution and dramatically cut travel times between major cities. A high-speed maglev train developed by the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) was officially presented to the public at the 17th Modern Railways exhibition in Beijing. With a top speed of 600 kmph (373 mph), this is China's most advanced ground transport project yet. Designed to transform city-to-city travel According to Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper, the train is meant to function as a 'point-to-point transport tool' connecting major cities. At 600 kmph, a trip from Beijing to Shanghai — a distance of about 1,200 km — could be reduced from 5.5 hours by current high-speed rail to just 2.5 hours. Shao Nan, a senior engineer at CRRC, said the aim is to bridge 'the speed gap between high-speed rail and aviation within 2,000 km'. The news report quoted him as saying that the new train would combine the punctuality and safety of rail travel with the speed advantages of flying. Clean, quiet, and energy efficient The maglev train uses superconducting electric magnetic levitation technology, which offers an environmentally friendly solution with no emissions, low operating noise, and reduced friction due to its non-contact design. At speeds above 150 kmph, the train levitates above the track using electromagnetic induction. Below that speed, it moves on rubber wheels. Shao also highlighted the train's fully automated driving system, which integrates 5G communication, AI video analysis, acoustic sensors, and various monitoring tools along the route to ensure safe and efficient operation, the news report said. A long journey of maglev development China first launched a maglev train in 2003, with a German-built link between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and the city. In 2016, the country introduced its first domestically built maglev in Changsha, followed by another line in Beijing in 2017. However, these earlier versions were low-speed, with maximum speeds around 120 kmph. CRRC's high-speed maglev is just one of many ambitious transport projects in China. In 2023, China conducted a successful test run of a maglev hyperloop, aiming for speeds of up to 1,000 kmph using low-pressure vacuum tubes and magnetic propulsion. In another major breakthrough this May, researchers from the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation said they developed an AI-guided suspension system to reduce the vibrations passengers might experience at extremely high speeds. Challenges ahead for next-gen rail travel Despite the exciting progress, experts warn of significant challenges ahead. The construction of high-speed maglev and hyperloop systems demands huge investments and advanced infrastructure. Specialised superconducting magnets, dedicated tracks, and engineering expertise are essential — making large-scale deployment a complex task, the news report said. China's growing high-speed rail network, already the world's largest with 48,000 km of track and plans to cross 50,000 km in 2025, signals its commitment to shaping the future of global transport.
AllAfrica
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- AllAfrica
China accelerates its maglev train to catch up with Japan
China previewed its new magnetic levitation (maglev) train, boasting a maximum speed of 600 kilometers per hour (373 miles per hour), in a recent event after completing the first phase of its engineering design. If successfully built and operated, this bullet train can catch up with Japan's fastest maglev train: the L0 Series, which achieved a record speed of 603 km per hour (375 mph) during a test run in April 2015. The L0 Series trains run at a maximum speed of 500 km per hour (311 mph) in commercial service, offering a journey time of 1 hour 7 minutes between Tokyo and Osaka. China's new maglev train, developed by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), was displayed at the 17th Modern Railways exhibition in Beijing from July 8 to 10. China State Railway Group and the International Union of Railways (UIC) also co-hosted the 12th World Congress on High-Speed Rail at the same venue. The vehicle can travel between Beijing and Shanghai in 2.5 to three hours, compared with the four-hour journey achieved by the current high-speed train. In China, the Shanghai Maglev is currently the fastest train in commercial operation, reaching 430 km per hour (267 mph) between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Longyang Road station. It used technology developed by Transrapid International, a joint venture between Siemens and Thyssenkrupp in Germany. 'The new superconducting maglev train will be used to supplement the existing network to implement point-to-point transportation,' said Shao Nan, a senior engineer at CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles. 'It can fill the speed gap between high-speed rail and aviation within 2,000 km per hour (1,243 mph).' She said the vehicle will move on rubber wheels when its speed is below 150 km per hour and will be lifted by magnetic fields when moving faster than that. Footage from the state-owned China Central Television showed an animation about how the rubber wheels are retracted before the train enters a maglev mode. Shao added that the first phase of the train's engineering was completed in July last year. She said the company will carry out more route and safety tests and engineering viability assessments for the train before deploying the train for commercial use. CRRC Changchun did not announce any roadmap for the train's commercial operation. It also did not disclose any information about how the train was designed and built, or whether any foreign partners were involved. This train likely came from the same project as the CRRC 600, which was developed by CRRC Qingdao Sifang (CRRC Changchun's sister company) using Transrapid technology under license from the German firm Thyssenkrupp. Back in 2016, CRRC announced that it would develop a maglev train with a designed top speed of 600 km per hour. In July 2018, CRRC and Thyssenkrupp signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on technology cooperation, targeting applications in the fields of smart mobility, magnetic technology, environmental protection, and renewable energy. In July 2021, Xinhua reported that CRRC Qingdao Sifang, a fully-owned unit of CRRC, 'self-developed' the CRRC 600. The company allowed visitors to experience for themselves inside the train's cabin. In September 2023, it displayed the same train at the 2023 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, Anhui province. An academic paper published by a group of Chinese and German mechanical engineers in March 2023 showed a close partnership between CRRC Qingdao Sifang and Thyssenkrupp. In February 2024, the European Commission launched an anti-subsidy probe into CRRC Qingdao Sifang over its bid for a €610 million (US$712 million) Bulgarian public procurement contract to provide electric trains, along with maintenance and staff training. The EC stopped the investigation after CRRC Qingdao Sifang withdrew its bid. Now, the CRRC Changchun has become the project manager of CRRC's new maglev train. An article published by China Youth Net, a unit of the Communist Youth League of China, said that, from the perspective of commercial value or future applications, high-speed maglev lines are more suitable for use between some large urban clusters with high-end passenger traffic. It added that, from the energy consumption perspective, the longer the distance the more obvious the comprehensive benefits and advantages. 'If high-speed maglev lines only serve Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, the passenger flow will be far from enough,' the article said. 'Besides, ticket prices for these maglev trains will have to be higher than those of the existing high-speed railways in the future.' Citing industry experts, the article said it will take a long time before CRRC's new maglev train can begin commercial operations. Some analysts have pointed out that weak market demand, rather than maglev technology, is the main obstacle for China to accelerate its high-speed train. In February this year, a group of Chinese commentators said a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) had found that China's high-speed railway saw an 'about 100 billion yuan of total loss' in the nine months ending December 31, 2024. A article also said China's high-speed railway network was 45,000 kilometers at the end of 2023, but only 2,300 kilometers, or 6% of the total, could make a profit. Read: China's fast-growing high-speed railway network faces reality
