R&D of 600 km/h Maglev Train Launched

A Chinese firm will start researching and developing a magnetic levitation （maglev）train that can run at 600 kilometers per hour， which would be faster than any other maglev train currently in operation.

CRRC Corp. Ltd.， China's largest rail transportation equipment maker， said it will build a maglev rail line no less than 5 kilometers long to test the train. The company will also develop maglev trains that travel at 200 kilometers per hour， with the goal of establishing domestic technology and standard systems for a new generation of medium- and high-speed maglev transportation that can be used globally， according to Sun Bangcheng， a CRRC official.

In addition， the firm will kick off research and development of cross-border high-speed trains that can run 400 kilometers per hour and alternate between different track gauges ranging from 60 centimeters to 1.676 meters.

The country started operation of its first home-grown maglev rail line in May， with trains running at a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour.