An ultra-high-speed (UHS) maglev vehicle has completed a 2km demonstration test run in Yanggao County, Shanxi province, northern China. The speed achieved has not been revealed, but the vehicle is designed to operate at up to 1000km/h.
This is the first full-size trial of the maglev system developed jointly by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and Shanxi, according to Chinese media. The test took place in a low-vacuum tube, with the vehicle successfully maintaining a stable ride and stopping safely. Results showed that the speed and height of the vehicle above the track were as predicted.
Construction of the test facility started in 2022 and the partners say the successful test has confirmed the viability of building and maintaining a long-distance, large-scale vacuum environment. The demonstration run proved that the super-conducting maglev system and other key technologies performed as expected in the low-vacuum environment.
The next phase of development is understood to include trial running at full speed, which will require a test track of at least 60km in length.
The Shanxi system integrates aerospace technology with conventional rail technology. With a theoretical maximum speed of 1000km/h, maglev trains could connect China’s largest cities and enable a journey time between Beijing and Shanghai of just 90 minutes.
