Maglev train in a low vacuum tube

Chinese researchers have successfully tested a magnetically driven train in a low vacuum tube. The train, called the Vactrain, was able to reach 129 kilometers per hour during tests carried out in a two-kilometer tube. Officials from the team that conducted the experiment explained that this was the first test of maglev in a “low vacuum tube”. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to China Daily.

The advantage of the train, which “floats” in the air due to the magnetic field, is that it is not subject to frictional resistance, since it does not come into contact with the rails. Thus, it can reach much higher speeds than conventional trains. For example, during tests in Japan in 2015, a speed record of 603 kilometers per hour was set on a maglev.

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However, the train in question is based on a different technology. This train is also a maglev type and is a non-contact hover train, but this time it will not encounter air resistance as it will travel in a low vacuum tube or tunnel. Theoretically, such trains should be able to move faster than sound, that is, reach speeds of 500 kilometers per hour or even higher. Actually, it is based on this type of technology that the Hyperloop project, proposed by Elon Musk back in 2013.

The Vactrain has been tested on a two-kilometer tube in Shanxi Province in northern China. The speed of 129 kilometers per hour achieved over this short distance is a preliminary test result. The lab will now build a full-scale 60-kilometer test track in Yanggao County, with construction to be carried out in three phases, eventually reaching a top speed of 1,000 km/h.

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