When we think of high-speed trains, Japan is a country that comes to mind. After all, the country’s railway system is renowned for being not only very fast, but also extremely punctual down to the minute. However, in recent years, China has been making some great strides on that front.
In fact, the country just debuted the world’s fastest train over in the city of Qingdao. This maglev bullet train is capable of hitting speeds of 600 kmph (373 mph). If that sounds familiar, it is because the country actually unveiled the prototype back in 2019, but now it looks like it has finally been unveiled in full.
According to Liang Jianying, deputy general manager and chief engineer of CRRC Sifang, some advantages of a maglev train include how it emits lower levels of noise compared to regular trains, which helps with sound pollution, especially if you happen to live near train tracks. Also, it requires less maintenance compared to other high-speed trains, so keeping it operational for longer is a possibility.
That being said, don’t rush to buy your tickets to Qingdao just yet. This is because there aren’t that many completed maglev tracks in the country yet, so it’s kind of like having a fast car but with no roads to drive on. The country is said to be developing new maglev networks so we might have to wait until its completion in order for this train to truly take off.
Filed in . Read more about China and Social Hit. Source: edition.cnn