[VIDEO] Designs for 15 Minutes BJ to SH Train Revealed
A Chinese technology company has announced it has begun research on a next-generation maglev train that could reach a theoretical top speed of 4,000 kilometers per hour, thereby cutting travel time between Shanghai and Beijing from the current 4.5 hours to just 15 minutes.
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Cooperation (CASIC) made the astounding announcement Wednesday, releasing a proof-of-concept video in which passenger capsules equipped with cutting-edge maglev technology travel inside vacuum tubes in order to reduce friction.
CASIC deputy general manager Liu Shiquan described the development of the new technology as being in separate stages, first making trains that can achieve a maximum speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour, then 2,000 kilometers per hour, and eventually 4,000.
China Daily reports that CASIC has already reached the first stage of development.
Called "T-Flight," the prototype is less like a traditional train and more like a "bullet" propelled along the length of its journey by magnet levitation technology.
The video (see below) even provides a few details, notably that the passenger capsule is 35.8 meters long, 2.24 meters high and 2.12 meters wide. The capsule is not linked like a train to other capsules, and appears to hold maybe two dozen passengers at most.
China has already been working on a high-speed train that could reach potential speeds of 600 kilometers per hour. However, Chinese Academy of Engineering bullet train expert Liu Youmei recommended that, under current conditions, high-speed trains should not exceed 400 kilometers per hour due to increasing operational costs, adding that ultra-fast trains should only be used for demonstrating new concepts and technologies rather than commercial operation.
If these plans seem too good to be true, we'll need to remind ourselves of previous large-scale Chinese technological ambitions that crashed after soaring high on well-hyped ambitions.
But even without considering the straddle bus and the Great Beijing Wheel, China has made some incredible claims involving its high-speed trains that haven't yet been followed through, namely that it was going to build an underwater tunnel to the USA as well as one underneath Mount Everest.
At the same time, China isn't shy about undertaking highly ambitious major engineering projects, to put it mildly. China is currently building a 12 kilometer-long tunnel underneath the Great Wall of China while also actively considering building a 2,300 kilometer-long high-speed rail route to the European Union that stretches through the entirety of Russia.
The CASIC announcement comes as China relaunches its "Rejuvenation" line of high-speed trains with a higher maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, making them the fastest in the world. Some reports suggest China may make its high-speed trains reach even faster speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour.
Images: China Daily (weibo.com), Miaopai.com
Top Stories This Week:
Beijingers Are Buzzing About: