Skip to main content

China tests 600km/h maglev vehicle in Shanghai

A maglev vehicle capable of 600km/h has run on a line at Tongji University
By David Arminas June 29, 2020 Read time: 1 min
The Shanghai Transrapid, in action here, was the world’s first commercial high-speed maglev (© Yinan Zhang/Dreamstime)

A maglev vehicle capable of 600km/h has conducted its first test run on a line at Tongji University in Shanghai, according to Chinese media.

The trial took place June 21, noted a report by China Global Television Network (CGTN), a Beijing-based state-run media outlet. The news was passed on by the International Maglev Board.

Engineers at the research and development centre of the state-run CRRC Qingdao Sifang – makers of high-speed trains – said the maglev (magnetic levitation) vehicle showed stable suspension and guidance during the multi-condition tests.

All key technical indicators met the design specifications and expectations.

The next step is to move the train into the marketplace, said the CGTN report.

China has said that it aims to put a 500km/h maglev line into commercial operation by 2025.

A Shanghai-Hangzhou 600km/h high-speed maglev has been included in the 10 so-called super transport projects within the province in the coming years.

The project, with CRRC Qingdao Sifang being responsible for the technical aspects, has input from more than 30 enterprises, universities and research institutes.

Scientific cooperation with German universities and German industry supports the development, according to CGTN.

Related Content

  • December 1, 2015
    VW scandal prompts emissions testing debate
    In the wake of the VW scandal John Kendall looks at emissions testing on both sides of the Atlantic. Since the VW emissions story broke in September, emissions testing has come under greater scrutiny, and none more so than in Europe, where critics have long been highlighting the weaknesses of the testing system. Ironically, changes to the emissions testing process were already under review but the story has pushed it up the agenda.
  • June 8, 2015
    ITS solutions to keep truck traffic moving
    David Crawford reviews freight management initiatives. Managing truck traffic to minimise its environmental impacts, without adversely impacting on its critical economic role, continues to drive ITS-based solutions in both urban and interurban contexts.
  • April 25, 2012
    TagMaster, Richor and FTRD sign LoI
    TagMaster, together with its Chinese distributor Richor and FTRD, a technology supplier to the rail industry in China, have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) which covers the joint development of an RFID system for use on mainline railways in China. The RFID system will form part of a new onboard warning system which will be used to improve train safety when passing temporary speed limits and work sections along the line.
  • August 10, 2012
    Boston-Power to supply battery systems to Beijing Electric Vehicle company
    Boston-Power, a provider of next-generation lithium-ion battery cells, modules and systems, has announced a multi-year agreement to provide battery systems to Beijing Electric Vehicle Company (BJEV), the electric vehicle delivery arm of Beijing Automotive Industry Company (BAIC). Under terms of the agreement, Boston-Power’s battery systems are expected to support multiple BJEV models and brands. Availability of pre-ordered vehicles begins in fourth calendar quarter 2012 with the C70 sedan, which is based on