Overview
- Researchers at the National University of Defence Technology accelerated a 1.1-tonne superconducting maglev to 700 km/h in about two seconds on a 400-meter line and then brought it to a controlled stop.
- CCTV footage showed a bare chassis streaking down the track with precise management of extreme acceleration and braking forces.
- The performance was presented as a new global benchmark for superconducting electric maglev systems.
- Project leaders, including professor Li Jie, said the advance could support vacuum-tube transport concepts and ground-based electromagnetic launch assistance for aerospace.
- The run follows a decade of development, including a 648 km/h trial earlier this year, and aligns with China’s broader push toward 1,000 km/h designs and experimental sites such as the 2 km Datong line.