The Shanghai Maglev - 460 kph/286 mph (China)
The fast and the floating: China's is leading the world in the introduction of Maglev train services.
Connecting Shanghai's Pudong airport with Longyang Road station in the city center, it has a maximum commercial speed of 460 kph, completing the 30 kilometer journey in just seven and a half minutes. Based on German technology, the Maglev trains fly along an elevated track, the powerful magnets providing a super-smooth, friction-free ride.
Using experience gained from more than a decade of regular operation, China has now developed its own 600 kph (373 mph) Maglev trains and has ambitious plans for a network of Maglevs, including a line between Shanghai and Hangzhou.
Chinese Maglev Train
Currently, there are three magnetic levitation lines in service in China: the Shanghai Maglev Line, Changsha Maglev Express Line, and Beijing Subway Line S1. The development of China’s maglev train began in 2016. In 2021, the Chinese newest maglev train debuted in Qingdao, which is known as the world's first high-speed maglev train capable of speeds of up to 620 km/h (385 mph).
What is a maglev train? Maglev train is a train driven by magnetic force. Because of the repulsive force and attractive force of magnets, the train is suspended in the air and does not touch the track when running, so it is also called a floating train or flying train. Without the friction between the train and track, the maximum speed of the maglev train can theoretically reach more than 600 km/h (372 mph). On July 20, 2021, China revealed a prototype for a new high-speed maglev train that can reach speeds of 620 kilometers (385 miles) per hour. It is considered the fastest train in the world, filling a critical middle space between high-speed trains and planes.
This prototype floating train in China will have a test trial in the vacuum pipeline in the future. Without friction resistance nor air resistance of traditional wheel-rail trains, it is expected to reach a maximum speed of more than 1,000 km/h (620 mph), surpassing the current civil aviation aircraft. According to the speed, the train can make the trip from Beijing to Shanghai in three and a half hours. That cuts about two hours from the travel time needed for a high-speed train to travel the same distance. Moreover, the absence of frictional resistance and air resistance means low noise. The maglev station can be set in the city center for the convenience of transportation. Developed by the state-owned China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, this newest maglev train is the fastest mode of transportation within the journey of 1500 kilometers. It uses advanced magnetic levitation technology, which will be a safe and efficient new way of train travel. In addition, it provides advanced and comfortable interior facilities.
China High-Speed Rail Network
China has the longest and most extensively used high-speed rail (HSR) network in the world, with a total length of 37,900 kilometers (24,498 miles) by the end of 2020, accounting for two-thirds of the world's total high-speed railway networks. At present, all provinces and regions are connected by national railways except Tibet and Macau. China’s high-speed network is consisted of eight rail corridors, including four verticals (north-south rail lines) and four horizontals (east – west rail lines). Most of them use the existing rail lines with the top speed of 200 – 250 km/h (120 – 160 mph). Some of them are dedicated high-speed rail lines with the maximum running speed of 300 – 350 km/h (190 – 220 mph).
China’s high-speed railways are roughly divided into three categories:
- High-speed railways with a designed speed of 300-380 km/h, including Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway and Guangzhou – Shenzhen - Hong Kong High-Speed Railway.
- High-speed railways with a designed speed of 200-250km/h, including Qinhuangdao - Shenyang Passenger Dedicated Line and Jinhua – Wenzhou High-Speed Railway.
- High-Speed Railways with a design speed of 200-250km/h which serve both passenger and freight transport, such as Wuhan – Yichang High-Speed Railway and Tianjin – Baoding High-Speed Railway.
Four verticals North – South High-Speed Rail Lines & Four East – West High-Speed Rail Lines are:
- Beijing – Shanghai High-Speed Railway
- Beijing – Hong Kong High-Speed Railway
- Beijing – Harbin High-Speed Railway
- Hangzhou – Fuzhou - Shenzhen High-Speed Railway (Coastal Corridor).
- Xuzhou – Zhengzhou - Lanzhou High-Speed Railway
- Shanghai – Kunming High-Speed Railway
- Qingdao – Taiyuan High-Speed Railway
- Shanghai – Chengdu High-Speed Railway
Chinese HSR technology shines in Saudi Arabia's desert
The 450-kilometer-long Haramain High-Speed Railway (HSR) Project, which was built by a consortium that included the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) in Saudi Arabia in 2018, connected Islam's holiest city Mecca with its second holiest, Medina.
With design speeds of 360 km per hour, the Haramain HSR line is the fastest in the region, cutting travel time from four hours to under two hours. Its annual passenger volume exceeds 15 million, greatly relieving local traffic pressure and making the journey more comfortable.
It is not only the first double-track electrified high-speed railway in Saudi Arabia, but also the world's first desert high-speed railway to have Chinese companies involved in its construction. The high-speed railway has brought a new experience of traveling on land in Saudi Arabia. It has changed the appearance of the cities and boosted economic development in locations along the route.
China's Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway test section passes muster
The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) test section under construction in Indonesia has met all dynamic detection and debugging requirements.
Last week, a Chinese-made high-speed Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) pulled out of DeKarol Station, launching the catenary thermal slip test. Once the EMU hot-slip test has taken place on the line, the joint debugging and testing stage can begin.
After conducting field research in Indonesia by Chinese designers and five more years of design work, expanded exports of this Chinese-made high-speed train can be initiated. All 11 EMUs will arrive in Indonesia early next year to fully prepare for the operational launch.
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Trial operation of Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway successful
Aerial photo shows a high-speed train running on a trial section of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway to fulfill a comprehensive trial operation in Bandung, Indonesia, on Nov 16, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
A comprehensive trial operation of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) in Indonesia has been successful after a train finished its run on the railway's trial section from Tegalluar station to Casting Yard No. 4 on Wednesday.
With the train's trail run, assessments have been done for the railway's subgrade, track, and systems of communication, signal, traction power supply, among others, according to railway operators.
The result of the trial operation showed that all indicators and parameters of the project in the section have fully met the design criteria, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent construction and operation of the railway. The train was designed and manufactured in China, with a maximum speed of 385 kilometers per hour.
China-Laos railway carries dreams, brings hearts closer
Today marks 1st anniversary of opening of the China-Laos railway. One year on, the railway carries dreams of the two peoples and brings their hearts closer.
Thepmoukda Phetsalath, translator of Laos-China Power Investment Company, shares her story.
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China-Thailand railway brings Thais hope for convenience, prosperity
The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway.
As its construction is in full swing, people expect the railway could make their life more convenient and prosperous. As Thailand eased COVID-19 restriction measures, the construction of the railway has picked up speed.
The China-Thailand railway is expected to not only inject vitality into the economic development of regions along the line in Thailand, but also strengthen the trans-Asian railway network and promote regional connectivity.
Past, present and future: The evolution of China's incredible high-speed rail network
At the beginning of the 21st century China had no high-speed railways. Slow and often uncomfortable trains plodded across this vast country, with low average speeds making journeys such as Shanghai-Beijing a test of travel endurance.
Today, it's a completely different picture. The world's most populous nation has -- by some distance -- the world's largest network of high-speed railways. No fewer than 37,900 kilometers (about 23,500 miles) of lines crisscross the country, linking all of its major mega-city clusters, and all have been completed since 2008. Half of that total has been completed in the last five years alone, with a further 3,700 kilometers due to open in the coming months of 2021. The network is expected to double in length again, to 70,000 kilometers, by 2035. With maximum speeds of 350 kph (217 mph) on many lines, intercity travel has been transformed and the dominance of airlines has been broken on the busiest routes.
By 2020, 75% of Chinese cities with a population of 500,000 or more had a high-speed rail ink. Spain, which has Europe's most extensive high-speed network and occupies second place in the global league table, is a minnow in comparison with just over 2,000 miles of dedicated lines built for operation at over 250 kph. In contrast, the UK currently has just 107 kilometers while the United States has only one rail route that (just about) qualifies for high-speed status -- Amtrak's North East Corridor, where Acela trains currently top out at 240 kph on expensively rebuilt sections of existing line shared with commuter and freight trains.
How China built the best high-speed rail ever
China built almost 40,000 kilometers of high-speed rails in just over a decade. Meanwhile, dreams for a similar high-speed train systems in the EU and US have been consistently derailed. How did China do it? And at what cost?
We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.
How China’s high speed rail KILLED the short haul flight
China introduced its first high speed bullet train in 2008, just three years after it retired its last steam train. Fast forward to 2022 and there are now a staggering 9,600 high speed rail lines transporting 2.2 billion passengers each year. Today travelling long distances so rapidly has transformed how people commute and dramatically reduced the number of short haul flights taken each year.
High-speed railway in China – statistics & facts
During the former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's visit to Japan in 1978, he experienced the world’s first high-speed train, “Shinkansen” (also known as the bullet train). This kicked off the awareness of high-speed railroads (HSR) in mainland China. Twenty-five years later, the first Chinese HSR system connecting Qinhuangdao to Shenyang (now part of the Beijing-Harbin Railway) was operated with a length of 404 kilometers (km) and a speed of 250km per hour. The rate at which China’s extensive express network has been built is staggering. To date, China owns the largest HSR system in the world, with a total operating high-speed rail network of 40,000 kilometers in 2021. This stands over three times the HSR distance of the European Union’s. China is now established as a rolling stock powerhouse that competes at the global level. By 2021, China operated a total of 4,153 “Fuxing Hao” high-speed trainsets (standard high-speed electric multiple units). In addition, the country operates most of the world's fastest trains, such as the CRRC Qingdao Sifang 2021 Maglev train, with a record speed of 600 km per hour.
As a competitive alternative to road and air transportation, HSR has received a positive response from Chinese citizens as a mode of travel. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the HSR passenger numbers soared to nearly 2.3 billion in 2019, accounting for approximately 63 percent of all rail passenger travel in China. Although HSR ridership still did not return to previous levels, it rose to 74 percent of rail ridership in 2021, representing a faster recovery of high-speed passenger traffic than regular rail passenger traffic in the post-COVID-19 period.
The Chinese government is promoting sustainable economic growth by investing in new transportation infrastructure, and HSR is one of the key projects. In 2020 alone, China's investment in intercity high-speed rail and rail transit was expected to reach 800 billion yuan. HSR investments are expected to return with tremendous economic and social effects by significantly enhancing the efficiency of the mobility of human resources and goods. By connecting China's remote provinces with its major economic centers, the venture stands as a symbol of Chinese unity and innovation as well. In addition, HSR is a low-emission technology that outcompetes road and air passenger travel in terms of energy consumption per passenger kilometer. Despite China’s state-of-the-art HSR having grown rapidly, Beijing will continue to invest in it over the next five years. According to China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), about 95 percent of the Chinese large towns (with a population of 500,000 or more) will be included in the HSR system by 2025.
Amazing technologies on Fuxing bullet train
When the bullet train runs at 350 km/h, 90 percent of the resistance comes from the air. Compared with previous versions of bullet trains in China, the Fuxing train has an improved aerodynamic performance.
The resistance has been reduced by 12 percent and the energy consumption per 100 kilometers per capita has been cut 17 percent, according to Ding Sansan, the deputy chief engineer of the CRRC Sifang Co Ltd, the bullet train's manufacturer.
It is equivalent to a reduction of 5,000 kilowatts of electricity on a Beijing to Shanghai trip, said Ding.
High-speed rail in China
The high-speed rail (HSR) network in the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the world's longest and most extensively used – with a total length of 40,000 kilometers by the end of 2021. The HSR network encompasses newly built rail lines with a design speed of 200–350 km/h (120–220 mph). China's HSR accounts for two-thirds of the world's total high-speed railway networks. Almost all HSR trains, track and service are owned and operated by the China Railway Corporation under the brand China Railway High-speed (CRH).
High-speed rail developed rapidly in China since the mid-2000s. CRH was introduced in April 2007 and the Beijing-Tianjin intercity rail, which opened in August 2008, was the first passenger dedicated HSR line. Currently, the HSR extends to all provincial-level administrative divisions and Hong Kong SAR, with the exception of Macau SAR. The HSR network reached just under 38,000 km (24,000 mi) in total length by the end of 2020.[8] The HSR building boom continues with the HSR network set to reach 70,000 km (43,000 mi) in 2035.
China's early high-speed trains were imported or built under technology transfer agreements with foreign train-makers including Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. After the initial technological support, Chinese engineers have since re-designed internal train components and have built and produced indigenous trains manufactured by the state-owned CRRC Corporation, especially on newer lines. China's high-speed rail is competitive with both road and air transport when it comes to distances of up to 1200 kilometers. It is cost competitive with bus and airfares which has helped it to attract more than 1.7 billion passengers annually across all income groups.
Flying without wings: The world's fastest trains
Fuxing fast: China's CR400 "Fuxing" trains run at a commercial maximum of 350 kph (217 mph) but have successfully reached 420 kph (260 mph) on test
As the world faces up to climate change, short-haul flights look increasingly unattractive to many travelers. The flygskam (flight shame) phenomenon that started in Scandinavia is already inspiring many travelers to reduce their reliance on airlines.
Until someone proves otherwise, high-speed rail is the most effective alternative to air travel for journeys of up to 1,100 kilometers (700 miles). Shuttling passengers between city centers at speeds of 290 kph (180 mph) or more, it offers a compelling combination of speed and convenience.
Rail's ability to move huge numbers of people quickly makes it far more efficient than unproven, low-capacity concepts such as Hyperloop. Since the 1980s, hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested in new high-speed, high-capacity railways across Europe and Asia, pioneered by Japan's Shinkansen and the Train a Grand Vitesse (TGV) in France.
In the last decade, China has become the undisputed world leader, building a 38,000-kilometer network of new railways reaching almost every corner of the country.
Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium and England are expanding the European network with other countries expected to follow by the 2030s. In 2018, Africa gained its first high-speed railway with the opening of the Al-Boraq line in Morocco and Egypt looks set to join the club before the end of the 2020s. Elsewhere in the world, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan have established high-speed routes and India, Thailand, Russia and the United States are among a growing group of nations committed to building new railways where trains will dash between major cities at speeds of more than 250 kph (155 mph).
But where can you travel on the world's fastest trains in 2022:
- Shanghai Maglev - 460 kph/286 mph (China)
- CR400 'Fuxing' -- 350 kph/217 mph (China)
- ICE3 -- 330 kph/205 mph (Germany)
- TGV -- 320 kph/198.5 mph (France)
- JR East E5 -- 320 kph/200 mph (Japan)
- 'Al Boraq' 320 kph/198.5 mph (Morocco)
- AVE S-103 -- 310 kph/193 mph (Spain)
- KTX 305 kph/190 mph (South Korea)
- Trenitalia ETR1000 -- 300 kph/186 mph (Italy)
- Haramain High Speed Railway -- 300 kph/186 mph (Saudi Arabia)
The Unstoppable Growth of China's HSR Network
The increasing speed of transportation has made the world smaller and smaller, made the communication between countries easier, and more importantly, made people's lives more convenient. Chinese engineers set a new world record for a high-speed speed of an incredible 320 km/hr.
Beijing, China (Urban Transport News): The State Council of China has announced plans to expand the country's high-speed bullet train network to 50,000km by 2025, up from 38,000km at the end of 2020, with the total network reaching 165,000km, an increase of 19,000km from 2020.
As of 2021, the country had more than 150,000 km (93,206 mi) of railways, the second longest network in the world. By the end of 2021, China had more than 40,000 kilometres (24,855 miles) of high-speed rail (HSR), the longest HSR network in the world.
You Won’t Believe The Countries Replacing Planes With High-Speed Trains
Not only is travelling by train a more relaxing, scenic option compared to plane travel, it's more eco-friendly too – a recent report by the think tank Intergenerational Foundation suggested the UK could cut its aviation fuel emissions by a third if it banned short-haul flights in favour of rail routes. From iconic routes like Japan's bullet trains, which can travel at speeds of up to 225 miles per hour (360km/h), to TGV's swift services, here are the finest high-speed routes to get inspired by.
The inside track on fast trains around the world:
- Tokaido Shinkansen, Japan
- Cairo fast train, Egypt
- Frecciarossa, Italy
- Shanghai Maglev, China
- Fuxing Hao, China
- Haramain Railway, Saudi Arabia
- Eurostar e320, UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands
- The Thalys network, France, Belgium, the Netherlands & Germany
- Al Boraq, Morocco
- Vande Bharat Express, India
- HS2, England, UK
- Acela Express, USA
- AVE network, Spain
- Chuo Shinkansen, Japan
- TGV, France
- Laos-China Railway, Laos
- Jakarta to Bandung high-speed train, Indonesia
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