Chinese Researchers Present New Prototype for Maglev Train

Researchers at China’s Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu have presented a prototype for a maglev train, using high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets, which they say could be made commercially available in six years. The researchers revealed their prototype at a test track in Chengdu on January 13th. The train is designed to travel at up to 620 km/h (385 mph), but researchers said they were working to stretch that speed to 800 km/h (497 mph). The Japanese are also working on a new generation of maglev using superconducting technology. The Japanese, however, are using liquid helium to achieve a low temperature for their maglev, while the Chinese will use liquid nitrogen, which is a much cheaper coolant. Involving an investment of 60 million yuan (9.3 million U.S. dollars), the HTS maglev project was jointly developed by Southwest Jiaotong University, China Railway Group Limited and CRRC Corporation Limited.