China: ultra-fast ‘hyperloop’ train has passed test trials

In October, in this article, we reported the news of the first test of the Chinese “hyperloop” train it saw a maglev train running up to 130 kilometers per hour along the 2 kilometer test line in Yanggao County of Datong, Shanxi Province, north China.

A result that kindled the enthusiasm of the researchers and made them “beat” Elon Musk and his The Boring Company, currently not yet able to carry out experiments of this type.

Just under three months later, the South China Morning Post reported the news of further tests, again passed by the prototype ultra-fast train.

On January 14, writes the Chinese newspaper, the capsule managed to make three trips of 210 meters each at a maximum speed of 50 km per hourallowing researchers to carry out the necessary tests to verify the functionality of some critical components – such as the superconducting magnet – some electronic systems, artificial intelligence security controls, sensors and wireless communication equipment.

Now the team is ready to raise the bar and bring the train to the speed of 1,000 km/hfinal objective of the project: currently the test tunnel is only 2 km long but it is expected to be extended up to 60kmin the next years, in order to carry out the speed tests.

Beijing boasts some experience in the field of ultra-fast trains, having the longest high-speed line in the world, approximately 42,000 km: the government also aims to raise the maximum speed of trains a 400km/h by 2025.

At the moment the fastest train in the world reaches 350 km/hbut another Chinese maglev prototype, built in the coastal city of Qingdao, has reached – on the test line – 600 km/h.

China has begun to pay attention to ultra-fast transportation in very recent timescontrary to Musk and Branson (respectively head of The Boring Company and of Hyperloop One), that took their first steps in this field several years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKvbSboQ5_g

The two private companies seem to be going through a stalemate, with TBC having dismantled one of its tunnels (which we talked about here) and HO which, despite passing the first tests in 2020, bringing the prototype to travel at 172 km/h, recently laid off over 100 employees.