China to test 1,000km/h ultra-high-speed-maglev train - Travel Tomorrow
traveltomorrow.com
A ultra-high-speed maglev train running at a cruise speed of 1,000 km/h could soon begin to operate in China. The new project experimental will be tested […]
  • DankZedong @lemmygrad.ml
    0·
    2 years ago

    Such a train would be a massive win for the world. Imagine being able to get from Amsterdam to Barcelona in this train in ±3 hours (including stops, probably). Making it affordable would completely destroy European flights, which is a good thing.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
      01·
      2 years ago

      The equatorial circumference of the Earth is about 40,000km. That means this train will theoretically be able to travel from any point on the Earth’s surface to any other point in under 24 hours as long as there’s track. This will be an absolute game changer for building connections across Eurasia, Africa, and the Middle East going forward. It’s going to completely eliminate the need for air travel and largely make shipping obsolete I expect.

      • wopazoo [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
        0·
        2 years ago

        I don’t think cargo ships are going to be obseleted by trains even in a scenario where all fossil fuels are banned or otherwise unavailable, because ships can take advantage of wind power (sails).

        • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
          01·
          2 years ago

          Obsoleted was perhaps too strong a word. As I mentioned in another reply, it’s more about facilitating trade across land routes that are too far from shipping centres to be viable currently.

      • ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
        0·
        2 years ago

        Maybe not shipping, the size of those shipping barges is incomprehensible with the sheer amount of tonnage they can carry, and dealing with tariffs, taxes, border inspections, and crossing land borders is a whole hassle in and of itself that a lot of countries and companies won’t want to deal with.

        Plus, North America, South America, Oceania, and massive economies such as Japan are still separated from the rest of the world and inaccessible to rail.

        • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
          01·
          2 years ago

          Fair, I don’t expect shipping to go away entirely. It’s worth noting though that you still have to get goods on and off the ship, which is done by land. So, the bottlenecks end up being in moving things to and from the port, hence why we tend to see big economic centres close to the ports with a fall off as you get fruther from the port. On the other hand, trains have the potential to connect a lot of areas that aren’t close to the water, and kick start economic development in places where it wasn’t cost effective previously.

          And of course, in the context of US trying to contain China, it makes a lot of sense for China to focus on creating economic routes through land where US can’t interfere with them.

  • Bloops@lemmygrad.ml
    0·
    2 years ago

    Ugh I swear China train reporting is of the lowest quality… What does “full-size superconducting test run” as mentioend in the CGTN article found in the linked video description mean? The video shows a train car the size of an automobile. Is that what they mean? But how is it the “first” test run when SCMaglev in Shanghai uses superconductors and has been operating for two decades? How long is the test track? How does it compare to startups in the rest of the world? Is this “full-size superconducting test run” also a low-vacuum test? What speeds is this “full-size superconducting test run” going to achieve? Because 99% of reporting on vactrains cover test runs that do not achieve the advertised speeds. What is the name of this research team? Is it the World Artery that this article mentions, or are they unrelated? What is their relation to rail companies and government organizations? Basically, is this being taken seriously or is it just hype like in America? Also, “The new project experimental”?? “The new train is specter to be”?? Does Travel Tomorrow force their journalists to write an article in 20 minutes or something?? Bottom of the barrel reporting, guys!!

    edit: holy smokes everyone I am just as bad as these guys - I got the Japanese SCMaglev and the German-Chinese Shanghai Transrapid confused. SCMaglev users superconductors in their electrodynamic suspension system. I don’t think the Transrapid uses them in their electromagnetic suspension system.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
      01·
      2 years ago

      The impression I get is that it’s mostly a test of actually being able to build the maglev tube, and all the components. Probably gonna be a while before they build a track of any significant size and start testing this at high speeds.