China unveils super-speed train prototype that hits 620 kph

BEIJING – China has unveiled the prototype for a high-speed train named Maglev that can travel on speeds up to 620 kilometres per hour, according to state-run media.

The train runs on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power that makes it look as if the 21-metre (69 feet) train is floating along the magnetised tracks.

University researchers constructed a track 165 meters long to demonstrate how the train would look and feel in transit, the Xinhua News reported.

Professor He Chuan of Southwest Jiaotong University who worked on the prototype told reporters that the train could be operational in 3-10 years.

He added: "Sichuan has rich rare earth resources, which is very beneficial to our construction of permanent magnet tracks, thus promoting the faster development of experiments."

China already has the world's largest high-speed rail network, which stretches over 37,000 kilometers, and the fastest commercially operating train; the Shanghai Maglev that has a top speed of 431 kph and links Shanghai Pudong Airport to Longyang Road in eastern Shanghai.

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