China's Maglev Hits 800 km/h in 5 Seconds — But Does Europe Need It?

An experimental Chinese maglev train — which glides above a specially designed track thanks to magnetic levitation — has set a new record for speed and acceleration, reaching 799 km/h from a standing start in just 5.3 seconds. The tests took place at the Tongxu laboratory in China's central Hubei province.

The 1.1-tonne prototype was tested on a short one-kilometre stretch of track. According to Jan Bauer, head of the Department of Electric Drives and Traction at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague, the track's deviation from a perfectly flat surface didn't exceed 0.1 millimetres — a level of precision that's practically impossible to achieve under real-world operating conditions.

Why China Chases Such Records

According to the Czech expert, showcasing achievements like this is primarily a way for China to demonstrate its scientific and technological prowess — its ability to master complex technologies and push objects to extreme speeds and accelerations.

The acceleration achieved by the prototype was around 4G, or roughly 40 m/s². For a human passenger, that kind of force would be extremely uncomfortable — and completely unacceptable from a passenger-safety standpoint. Ordinary trains and trams accelerate at just 1 to 1.5 m/s².

Still, the tests confirmed that extreme speed doesn't rule out controlled braking: after accelerating to 799 km/h, the metal capsule weighing over a tonne came to a smooth stop, with a braking distance just over 200 metres. Bauer notes that this kind of technology might be more relevant for long-distance freight transport, given the sheer scale of Chinese territory. According to The Independent, researchers are also hoping to apply the technology to electromagnetic catapults for rockets and fighter jets — meaning military applications could well outpace civilian ones.

How Magnetic Levitation Works

Unlike conventional trains, maglevs have no wheels: magnetic forces hold them above the guideway, eliminating any physical contact with the track — and with it, the friction that normally slows trains down. Coils running along the track generate alternating electromagnetic fields that create a travelling magnetic wave, essentially forming a giant catapult that propels the train forward.

But even this technology has its limits — air resistance being one of them. The force the train must overcome grows sharply with speed: while Shanghai's maglev tops out at around 400 km/h, the experimental prototype reaches double that — meaning air resistance increases fourfold. Energy costs rise right along with speed.

Why Maglev Won't Catch On in Czechia

In Europe, the main obstacle to adopting maglev technology won't be the technology itself, but rather the strict track-quality requirements and the population's purchasing power.

"If you look at Czechia in terms of available land or the feasibility of building new rail corridors, it's practically impossible. In China, they approach railway construction differently — they simply decide to build a new line to the exact specifications they need," explains Jan Bauer.

Michal Drábek, an engineer at CTU's Faculty of Transportation Sciences, adds that maglev requires an entirely new network of tracks, and that both China and Japan far outstrip Czechia in terms of population and economic output. There's also the question of ticket prices: while China and Japan can easily find enough affluent passengers to fill the trains, a Czech maglev line would risk running without enough paying customers.

Another complication lies in switching tracks: since a maglev train is held aloft by coils and a magnetic cushion rather than resting on rails, changing tracks requires far more complex engineering solutions.

"Personally, I lean toward conventional high-speed trains running at 320 or even 250 km/h as the backbone of our public transport system. But such a train shouldn't require mandatory seat reservations — otherwise we'll kill the system on Friday and Sunday evenings and scare passengers away," says Drábek. He believes fares should vary by comfort level and include cheaper options — otherwise trains won't fill up, and building expensive infrastructure for a narrow circle of wealthy passengers makes no economic sense.

Read also: Prague Metro: Map and Tickets

Source: seznamzpravy.cz