China: a train that will travel at 1000 km/h is under construction
In the transportation sector, the possibilities seem limitless thanks to continuous technological innovation. In China, an experimental ultra-high-speed maglev train capable of reaching a cruising speed of over 1,000 km/h is being prepared.
This is a significant value, because it laps the fastest Chinese train currently in service, the Shanghai Maglev, which reaches a maximum speed of 460 km/h. The new project will be tested in Harbin, the capital of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.
World Artery, a Chinese firm involved in carrying out the mission, told the Global Times that the experimental project will also boost local tourism in the province.
The technology: magnetic levitation in a vacuum tube
Super high-speed trains use "Maglev" technology, short for magnetic levitation, which allows trains to hover and move at extraordinary speeds, propelled by powerful magnetic fields. Unlike traditional trains that rely on friction wheels, maglev trains float above the tracks, eliminating friction. Only China, Japan and Korea have trains of this type in service.
The new design uses the technology in a low-vacuum transport tube, which becomes the most crucial part of the programme, allowing the train to reach high speeds at relatively low cost and without compromising safety.
World Artery President Zheng Bin told the Global Times that " the construction of the test track will be a breakthrough in the industry, which also represents a major technological leap in translating the concept into reality ."
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Challenges in sustaining such high speeds
Speeds exceeding 1,000 km/h lead to problems which can question the safety of passengers and infrastructure. Challenges such as maintaining the low vacuum conditions in the tube and the passengers having to deal with such high speeds and hard accelerations will have to be faced.
In addition, the costs associated with the development and implementation of maglev rail systems will also need to be considered. The construction of the tracks, stations and related infrastructure requires significant investments.
According to the Global Times, the low-pressure pipe and related production facilities will be built in cooperation between World Artery and Harbin Industrial Investment Group Co, for which an agreement has already been reached. The former will handle construction technology, related patents and other inputs, while the latter will be responsible for registering the construction program and providing services, including investment attraction and policy advice.
If the technology becomes commercially viable, this rapid transit system could transform long-distance travel, shortening distances and bringing regions closer together than ever before.
An exceptional structure that promises a revolution
The project risks entering directly into competition with the world of aviation, which would be displaced in short-haul passenger transport. THE
Furthermore, the technological superiority of the East and of China in particular is shown: such projects are not even thought of in Europe and the most advanced idea of the kind in the USA, Elon Musk's Hyperloop, has much lower performance and is little more than a prototype.
The East-West scientific gap is getting deeper and deeper and only a Western cultural revolution can think of bridging it.
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The article China: a train that will travel at 1000 km/h is under construction comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/cina-in-costruzione-un-treno-che-viaggera-a-1000-km-h/ on Fri, 12 May 2023 09:30:40 +0000.