a magnetic levitation Hyperloop train prototype exceeds 623 km/h

During tests carried out by the Chinese company Casic, a Hyperloop prototype approached the cruising speeds of aircraft. Until now this technology seemed like a bad idea.

China broke the train speed record with a train flashing at more than 623 km/h, reports the South China Morning Post, February 2. This train developed by the Casic company could have gone even faster. It was simply limited by the length of its test track. It turns out it’s only two kilometers long. But the time to accelerate and brake, at these speeds, we quickly reached the end. But in theory, it could easily exceed 1,000 km/h. So, go faster than a plane. A plane, we recall, flies around 800 km/h at cruising speed.

The train could therefore increasingly compete with air travel. Especially since a few days ago, the Council of State rejected the airports which wanted to cancel the decree prohibiting plane travel, when there is an alternative by train in less than 2h30.

Many problems to solve

This type of train capable of reaching such high speeds is not a TGV. It doesn’t ride on rails. It is a magnetic levitation train, that is to say it flies above the tracks, thanks to electromagnets which repel each other. It is above all a train which circulates in a tube under vacuum of air. This further limits friction and allows phenomenal speeds to be achieved. Until now, the Hyperloop seemed like a bad idea. We’ve been talking about it for over ten years. Projects have multiplied all over the world. Unfortunately, so do technological fiascos and dead ends. The biggest player in the sector even ended up going bankrupt last December. The problems range, pell-mell, from exorbitant infrastructure costs to passenger safety. They must travel in vacuum tubes at 1,000 km/h. Imagine if there is the slightest incident.

The Chinese Hyperloop will perhaps have a better chance of success. If there is a region where this can work, it is China. The distances are immense, the population is enormous and the technology seems to be mastered. And above all, the State has the means to finance infrastructure. One thing is certain, Hyperloop or not, with the development of high speed, the train is well on its way to establishing itself as an alternative to the plane.