CHINESE research teams have broken laboratory speed world records for two distinct magnetic levitation technologies, laying the foundation for next-generation ultra-high-speed rail transport and electromagnetic space launch systems.

Last week, State broadcaster CCTV reported that a research team from the National University of Defense Technology in Hunan Province accelerated a ton-level load to a maximum speed of 700 kilometers per hour in just two seconds during a superconducting electric maglev experiment, achieving a safe stop shortly afterward. This surpassed its previous record of 648 km/h set earlier this year.

Meanwhile, East Lake Laboratory in Hubei Province announced it had accelerated a 1.1‑ton high‑speed rail model to 800 km/h in 5.3 seconds using a “permanent magnet electric suspension guidance plus electromagnetic propulsion” system. The laboratory has broken the world record in this category three times over the past six months.

China has developed expertise across three main maglev technology pathways: normal conductivity, permanent magnet, and superconducting. While normal conductivity maglev is relatively mature, its maximum speed is lower than the other two.

Superconducting maglev technology, capable of speeds around 700 km/h, could enable ultra‑high‑speed rail travel from Beijing to Shanghai in about two hours. It also opens new possibilities for space launch systems, where a superconducting electromagnetic catapult could accelerate a spacecraft to hypersonic speed before ignition, significantly reducing rocket fuel consumption and launch costs.

Currently, five maglev lines are operational in China: the Shanghai Maglev Train, Beijing Subway Line S1, Changsha Maglev Express Line, Fenghuang Maglev in Hunan, and the Qingyuan Maglev Tourist Line in Guangdong. Among these, only the Shanghai line is a high‑speed maglev, with a maximum speed exceeding 400 km/h; the others are medium‑ and low‑speed lines operating at around 100 km/h.

In July 2021, China’s independently developed 600 km/h high‑speed maglev transportation system rolled off the production line in Qingdao, Shandong Province. In recent years, the country has also been advancing research on superconducting electrodynamic suspension systems designed for ultra‑high‑speed operation, especially in low‑vacuum environments. In 2023, a 2‑kilometer test line in Datong, Shanxi Province, passed quality inspection, with its long‑term design target set at 1,000 km/h.(SD-Agencies)