CNN
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China has unveiled a prototype of a new high-speed maglev train capable of reaching speeds of 620 kilometers (385 miles) per hour.
The train runs on high temperature superconducting (HTS) power and appears to float along magnetized tracks.
The refined 21-meter (69-foot) long prototype was unveiled to the media on January 13 in Chengdu, Sichuan. In addition, university researchers say he built 165 meters (541 feet) of track to show what a train would look like.Mood on the move, according to the state Xinhua news.
Professor He Chuan, vice president of Southwest Jiaotong University, who worked on the prototype, told reporters the train could be “operational” within three to 10 years.
“Sichuan province is rich in rare earth resources, which is very beneficial for permanent magnet track construction and facilitates the rapid development of experiments.”
China has the world’s largest high-speed rail network of over 37,000 kilometers and the fastest commercial train, the Shanghai Maglev.
It is China’s first high-speed maglev train, which started operation in 2003. With a top speed of 431 km/h, the train connects Shanghai Pudong Airport to Longyang Road in the east of Shanghai.
China is eager to further improve its infrastructure for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
This time last year, China unveiled a new 174-kilometer high-speed rail line connecting Beijing with the 2022 Winter Olympics host city of Zhangjiakou, cutting travel time between the two from three hours to 47 minutes.
Earlier this month, the country debuted a specially designed bullet train withstand temperatures below freezingThe CR400AF-G train can go up to 350 kilometers per hour in the cold of -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit).
It operates on routes between Beijing, Shenyang and Harbin.Harbin is so cold that the annual snow and ice festival.
