China Reveals 373 mph Ultra-High-Speed 'Flying Train'

CRRC has debuted a prototype magnetic levitation, or “maglev”, train in Beijing in a clear sign of its increasing confidence in the technology.

The CRRC 600 maglev train

Unlike normal high-speed trains that currently zoom around Europe and elsewhere (but rarely exceed 200mph), maglevs hover millimetres above their guide-rails, eliminating friction and allowing them to travel at far greater speeds. Furthermore, the lack of wear and tear means maintenance costs are considerably lower, while their electric motors are emissions-free and the absence of wheels produces far less noise.

The Telegraph reports that conservative estimates envisage that the Chinese train - called the CRRC 600 to reflect its top speed in kilometres per hour - or a competing model under development in Japan will enter service in the middle of the next decade. Travelling at 300mph or more, these 'flying trains' will be at least half the speed of commercial jet airliners.

Journey times between Beijing and Shanghai of 750 miles would be cut from four and a half hours by high-speed train today to just two and a half hours on the maglev. Imagine being able to get from New York to Chicago, or Rome to Berlin, in two and a half hours by train.

Jeremy Acklam, transport expert at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, was a one-time maglev sceptic, but says he has come round to the potential of the technology. He says: “The science behind it has matured with the arrival of a second generation of supercooled magnets that dramatically reduce the amount of energy needed. We’ve also got national governments that are willing to invest very significant amounts, with Japan and China clearly intent on becoming the world’s exporters of this technology.”