Tracks are now being laid for China’s 1,000 km/h magnetic levitation trains, which are scheduled to start taking passengers by 2035.
The trains, known as T-Flight, will run faster than commercial planes, which cruise at around 925 km/h. China’s existing magnetic levitation (maglev) trains operate at 349 km/h.
“As socioeconomic development continues, people's demand for faster, more comfortable transportation is increasing,” Zhao Ming, a technician at T-Flight developer China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, told state media organisation China Daily.
“The T-Flight will play a role in creating a 'one-hour economic circle' among core urban clusters in China, and together with high-speed rail, civil aviation and other modes of transportation, it will form a comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network in the country,” said Zhao.
T-Flight tracks are now being laid, according to state TV outlet CGTN.
The train will be elevated 100 millimetres above its tracks using magnets, increasing its speed and stability. China’s existing maglev trains sit 10 millimetres above their tracks.
T-Flight will travel inside a near-vacuum tube, which would further increase its speed. This system, known as a hyperloop, was initially proposed by Elon Musk in 2013.
T-Flight’s trains will also be equipped with 5G connectivity. Researchers at Southeast University in Nanjing are developing methods to install 5G stations on the inner wall of T-Flight’s near-vacuum tube.
The train has been trialed several times this year, including a two-kilometre demonstration in August, but it has yet to reach a full speed of 1,000 km/h.
T-Flight’s routes have not yet been confirmed.