Chinese maglev train capable of travelling at 600km/h on track for 2020 test run as design completed
News confirmed by Liang Jianying of state-owned CRRC Qingdao Sifang, the first and only female chief engineer in China’s high-speed train manufacturing industry
The design for the prototype of China’s first maglev train with a top speed of 600km/h (373mph) has been completed, according to the chief engineer of the country’s leading high-speed train manufacturer.
Liang Jianying from state-owned CRRC Qingdao Sifang said: “We have completed the design for the prototype of the maglev train and started on production of parts.”
Liang was in Hong Kong and speaking on the sidelines of the InnoTech Expo organised by Our Hong Kong Foundation – a think tank set up by former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa – on Friday.
Although the train is designed to hit a top speed of 600km/h, she said the company was aiming for a “maximum operating speed” of 550km/h.
The train and a comprehensive maglev transport system around it are expected to fill the service gap between the high-speed rail network and aviation. High-speed trains usually operate at speeds of between 200km/h and 400km/h.
Maglev technology moves trains on magnetic fields. Because there is no contact with the tracks and the trains ‘float’, they can travel at higher speeds without friction.