China already has the most extensive high-speed rail system in the world. Now it has completed the demonstration test of a new train that can travel at astounding speeds of up to 621 miles per hour, according to a Xinhua report detailed by Interesting Engineering.
The new train, developed jointly by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited and Shanxi, uses low-vacuum tube magnetic levitation (commonly known as "maglev") technology. It reportedly demonstrated controlled navigation, stable suspension, and safe stopping at speeds never before achieved by rail.
To put things in perspective, a 621 mph train could theoretically travel from New York to Los Angeles (if such a train line existed) in close to four hours. That trip currently takes more than five hours by plane or more than 40 hours by car.
The current fastest train in the United States can reach speeds of around 150 mph. The fastest currently in operation in the world, the Shanghai Maglev, can hit a maximum commercial speed of around 286 mph.
Japan's planned fastest train in the world, which would also use maglev technology, was previously intended to launch in 2027 before those plans were pushed back — and that train would normally travel at speeds of 310 mph, just over half as fast as China's new maglev train.
Maglev technology works by using superconducting magnets to essentially levitate a train car, allowing it to zoom around with no friction while maintaining a high degree of control, according to an article by the U.S. Department of Energy published by SciTechDaily.
Its advantages are that it produces no planet-overheating air pollution in operation and minimal noise pollution — and, of course, that it can make trains go incredibly fast.
Data has shown that trains — even in their current, non-maglev form — are the most efficient and planet-friendly form of long-distance travel, producing less air pollution per passenger than cars or airplanes. This new advancement shows just how much more efficient they could still become.
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