China revealed a prototype of a high-speed Maglev train capable of traveling at speeds of 620 km (385 miles per hour).
High-temperature superconducting power (HTS), is used to make the train appear as though it is floating on the magnetized tracks.
On January 13, the 21-meter (69-foot) long prototype was revealed to media in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. According to state-run Xinhua News, university researchers also constructed 165m (541 feet) track to show how the train would feel in transit.
Southwest Jiaotong University vice president Professor He Chuan told reporters that the prototype train could be operational within three to ten years.
He said: “Sichuan’s rich rare earth resources are very beneficial to our construction permanent magnet tracks, which promotes the faster development and testing of experiments.”
China has the largest high-speed rail network in the world, covering 37,000 km. The fastest commercially available train, the Shanghai maglev, is also located there.
It was the first Maglev train to operate at high speed in the country and it started operating in 2003. The train runs at 431 kph and links Shanghai Pudong Airport with Longyang Road on the eastern side.
China is eager to improve its infrastructure ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
China revealed a new high-speed railway line linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou for the 2022 Winter Olympics. It spans 174 kilometers, reducing travel time from the two cities to just 47 minutes.
The country launched a bullet train that can withstand freezing temperatures earlier this month. The CR400AF–G train can travel 350 km per hour in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius (-40 Fahrenheit).
It will travel between Beijing, Shenyang, and Harbin. Harbin is famous for its annual snow and ice festival.