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Transport infrastructure is taking gargantuan leaps at the moment, what with all this news of plans to build undersea tunnels and develop more supersonic aircraft – and now, the rail industry is getting involved.
China is currently developing floating trains – yes, you read that right – with the aim of fast-tracking (and when we say fast, we mean it) passenger journeys between its major hubs.
The hyperloop trains, which literally shoot through the air in tube-like constructions, are currently being tested, with the current speed record being a speedy 623 kph.
However, project leaders say the train has the capacity to reach an astonishingly fast 999 kph (which would be faster than a commercial plane) and in the future, maybe even break the sound barrier.
But how do these incredible things work? Well, put your science caps on, guys. The hyperloop trains (China’s new model is named T-flight) use something called magnetic levitation – or maglev – which sees magnetic force lifting the carriages above the track, eliminating the wheels and reducing friction.
The trains shoot through low-vacuum tubes that have low air pressure, and that’s what helps them achieve such incomprehensible speeds. The fastest one currently in operation is the Shanghai maglev, but Japan is hoping to launch the L0 series in 2025.
As for the T-flight, we might have to wait another 10 years for it, but it’s already being considered a success by some.
Andrés de León, CEO of US-based company HyperloopTT, told the IFLScience news website that ‘China’s success is a clear demonstration that hyperloop technology is not a distant dream, but a rapidly emerging reality.’
Train expert The Man in Seat 61 is less optimistic, but said ‘if anyone can make it work it will be the Chinese,’ according to the Telegraph.
The hyperloop train isn’t without controversy – the tubes needed for the trains to shoot through require completely new infrastructure and, as you might have guessed, that costs rather a lot of money.
The trains also won’t be a calming, scenic experience, given that you’ll be cocooned in a high-speed tube, but hey, that’s what vintage trains are for.
Did you see that a new high-speed train now links these two European capitals?
Plus: These are the world’s most ‘anxiety-inducing’ cities, apparently.
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