--- title: "A Chinese Maglev Revolution is Coming: The World's Fastest Trains Take Shape" description: "If there's one country that really 'gets' infrastructure, it's China – one of the few nations on earth that has a habit of regularly announcing vast and bewildering megaprojects of all stripes, and more often than not, actually seeing them through to completion.\n\nIt feels like only yesterday that they were announcing a grand plan to completely revolutionise rail travel in the country with the construction of a vast and comprehensive network of high-speed lines that covered the entire nation – certainly no small feat given how big the place is. And yet, despite the scepticism and even mockery that they received from some western pundits at the time, here we are in 2024, and sure enough, China now has 28,000 miles (45,000 km) of the stuff, enough to make the majority of high speed rail in the world, period, Chinese.\n\nAnd yet, it appears as though Beijing is not satisfied with 'merely' just blowing the rest of the world out of the water when it comes to conventional rail, as they are currently in the nascent stages of doing it all over again with another, much more sci-fi type of rail: maglev.\n\n## What is Maglev?\n\nLet's get things started by clarifying something crucial that will underpin this whole discussion – what even is a maglev train anyway?\n\nWell, to put it simply, a maglev train does exactly what it says on the tin – it is a train that uses magnets, mag, to levitate, lev, over the tracks it uses, rather than sit on them with those archaic wheel things that trains have otherwise used since the black and white days of top hats and mutton chops.\n\nTo go into more detail however, maglev trains use two different sorts of systems: Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) and Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS). EMS uses electromagnets built onto the train itself, which interact with ferromagnetic rails. When energized, these electromagnets create a magnetic field that repels the train from the rail, lifting it into a levitated state. This system requires stringent active control to keep the train stable and maintain a consistent gap between the train and the track, because should the train's electromagnets fail, or the magnetic field between track and train be disrupted, the people on board are not going to be having a good day.\n\nBy contrast, EDS employs superconducting magnets on the train to generate magnetic fields that interact with conductive coils in the track. As the train moves, it induces currents in these coils, creating magnetic fields that lift the train by repulsion – a subtle but distinct difference, and one that still comes with the same very important safety concerns of EMS.\n\nFor propulsion, both EDS and EMS trains use linear motors. Unlike traditional motors in a 'normal' electric or diesel-powered locomotive, which generate power on board and use a transmission to 'push' that power into a set of wheels, which turn, and move the locomotive along as they do so, a linear motor is instead positioned outside of the locomotive along the track, and the electromagnetic field it generates 'pushes' the locomotive forward. Speed regulation is achieved by altering the electrical current of the linear motor – draw more power, and you'll go faster; less, and you'll go slower; cut it all together, and you'll come to a halt.\n\nSince maglev trains don't actually touch their tracks, guidance is also quite a bit of a big deal. After all, a maglev train 'clipping' its rails and ploughing several hundred passengers into the ground at high speed wouldn't exactly be conducive to the operation of a reliable and profitable timetable. It is achieved, typically, through systems that integrate with the levitation mechanisms, but in different ways depending on the type of maglev in question. In EMS configurations, the electromagnets that levitate the train also provide lateral stability, keeping the train centred over the track, and by contrast, EDS systems often utilise the inherent stability provided by its magnetic fields, which naturally centre the train above the track as it moves.\n\nWhy bother with all of this then, as it all sounds like a bit of a faff doesn't it, at least compared to just letting George Stephenson's 200 year refined mechanical child do its thing on good old fashioned metal rails?\n\nWell, partly it is due to maintenance, or rather the lack thereof that maglev lines need as compared to traditional lines; there is very little wear and tear on the tracks since nothing actually touches them, and thus a fortune can be saved on highly qualified, and very expensive permanent way engineers.\n\nSuch a consideration is drab however, and a 'far' more exciting one is speed. Again, since maglev trains don't actually touch the track, it means that a particular demon that has cursed railway engineers for over two centuries now can be banished down to the pits of hell – friction. For the swiftly minded, friction is the enemy – always present, touching your wheels, slowing you down; by eliminating it all together, you eliminate one of the major caps to a locomotive's maximum speed.\n\n## The Shanghai Maglev\n\nNow for some background context. China's current foray into maglev trains isn't actually its first attempt, as they last had a go back in the late 90s, a time when, to be blunt, its rail system was a massive pile of junk; its trains were old, they were slow, and they were uncomfortable – an absolute disgrace for a nation which was then in its nascent stage of becoming one of the big boys on the world stage.\n\nFinding this state of affairs irksome, Beijing resolved to do something about it by constructing a vast network of inter-city high-speed trains. But this presented a question: what form should the new network take? Did they go for Japanese style conventional bullet-trains, which were tried and tested, or did they go for this whizz-bang maglev stuff?\n\nIntrigued by the latter prospect, they commissioned the German company Transrapid, then pioneers in the tech, to build them a line in Shanghai – one that ran from Pudong Airport to the city centre. This was quite a sensible approach to be fair, because even if they didn't pursue maglev any further, Shanghai still got a belting airport connection out of it.\n\nConstruction began in March 2001, and after a lengthy period of testing, it opened to public traffic in January 2004. The end result stretched for 19.5 miles (30.5 km), and still remains the fastest train in regular commercial service in the whole world, topping out at 268 mph (431 kph) in routine service, with an overall top speed of 280 mph (450 kph), which it hit in pre-service testing.\n\nIts construction was a monumental financial undertaking, costing approximately $39.759 million USD per kilometre, totalling around $1.2 billion USD for the entire line. As a result of this cost, and despite the impressive technological achievement that the line represents, it has struggled to achieve financial viability, and has more or less run at a loss every year of its operation. As a result of this, maglev was not selected for further development when the time came, and instead they went for conventional high-speed trains.\n\nOh, and a small tangent before we bring this chapter to a close – we can personally vouch for what an utterly insane experience it is riding the Shanghai Maglev. The sensation of such speed simply cannot be accurately relayed with words alone, and we recommend everyone put it on their bucket list immediately.\n\n## The Coming Revolution\n\nFollowing the failure of the Shanghai Maglev to be selected for wider adoption, it was assumed that that was it; that Beijing had placed all of its chips on the red spot of conventional high speed rail, and was not going to be making a cheeky flutter on the black maglev spot – and that the Shanghai Maglev was just going to be left doing its thing in isolation until it inevitably broke, became too expensive to repair, and was ferried off to a railway museum somewhere to sit gathering dust as a glorious monument to what could have been had Beijing felt just a tad more risky back in the early noughties.\n\nBut then, in 2016, everything changed, as the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), a state-owned rolling stock company, suddenly announced that it had begun work on a new maglev train, one that they hoped would reach a top speed of 373 mph (600 kph), which would make it the single fastest thing on earth, period.\n\n\"Sure you are!\" The western world's press said in unison as they patronisingly patted the CRRC on the head – completely blind to the fact that China is a country that regularly announces megaprojects of all kinds, and more often than not, actually sees them through to completion.\n\nImagine their surprise then, when not even two months later, the CRRC announced it was going to start construction on a 3.1 mile (5 km) stretch of test track in Qingdao which would allow them to put the new train through its paces and run it up to its maximum speed, with a view to having it completed by the back end of 2018 – China really was serious about large scale maglev production.\n\nFrom there things went quiet for a time as CRRC's boffins retreated to their workshops and set about the long and arduous task of bringing a fully functional top of the line intercity high speed maglev train, and a system of tracks above which it could float, into reality.\n\nSlowly but surely, a few years down the line, more and more maglev lines got announced as CRRC's work only went from strength to strength. It started off small at first, with Beijing announcing in 2019 that it was going to build a 621 mile (1,000 km) network of nine different maglev lines, the most notable aspects of which were a 102 mile (164 km) stretch between Shanghai and Hangzhou, a 68 mile (110 km) line linking Guangzhou with Shenzhen, and a 188 mile (302 km) long Chengdu to Chongqing connection.\n\nFrom there, in true Chinese megaproject form, things got just a bit bigger, and by early 2021, lines linking Urumqi to Lanzhou, Chengdu to Deyang, Shanghai to Hangzhou, and Shanghai to Shenzhen were all announced as well.\n\nBut wait, there's more, because then, by the close of 2021, further lines from Beijing to Shanghai were announced, as well as a cheeky little extra spur to pop Hong Kong onto the end of the Guangzhou to Shenzhen line – tot all of this up, and currently give or take 2,485 miles (4,000 km) of maglev lines have been announced.\n\nAs for when this will all open, that is more difficult to say. Beijing is, perhaps quite sensibly given how subject to delays megaprojects tend to be, reluctant to put a hard date on any of these lines' opening dates, but looking at what Chinese newspapers say, expect to see the ribbons likely being cut around 2030, with maybe a few of the shorter ones opening a touch earlier.\n\nWhen it comes to cost however, we just don't have a clue. There's so little reliable reporting out there on this specific matter that it really is difficult to say. But just for the sake of having 'a' number to work with, if we note the fact that the Shanghai Maglev cost $1.2 billion USD for its 19.5 mile (31.5 km) track, which is worth just over $2 billion USD today, and that Japan is predicting to spend $82 billion USD on its 285 km Chūō Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Nagoya, it isn't unreasonable to suspect that the cost of all of China's maglev lines may well creep up to close to the trillion dollar USD mark when all is said and done. Sounds mad, but when you consider that that figure is around the yearly US military budget mark, that the Chinese economy isn't that much smaller, and that the cost is being split over many years, it is certainly in the realms of realism at least.\n\nNow, that's all fun and games – but what of the train that will glide over all of those tracks? That's the fast bit, that's the bit we really all care about, so what's going on with that?\n\nWell, worry not, because that question was answered in 2021, when the CRRC 600 glided out of the factory in Qingdao and was announced to the public. It is a five-car set, able to be expanded up to ten cars, and is designed to operate at speeds of 373 mph (600 kph), hence the name. Its unveiling followed extensive testing phases, including a successful test run of a prototype on a 1.5 km guideway at Tongji University in Shanghai back in 2019.\n\nIt still hasn't finished testing and entered serial production, because CRRC really want to get it right, which is probably sensible given what is at stake if such a fast-floating train has a whoopsie daisy.\n\nThe brakes alone, which work through using a magnetic pole to apply magnetic force in the opposite direction of travel, took over 19 months to develop and engineer. It is also planned to be fully autonomous, but not unmanned, with its driver being referred to as an 'attendant' in CRRC press releases – someone who can drive the train if they have to, but in 99% of operation will just be keeping an eye on things and making sure the automatic systems are functioning correctly.\n\nNow, this is all jolly exciting, but it's only one part of the story. Because while all of this big and fancy intercity maglev stuff is capturing the front pages, a much more humble story is unfolding on the back pages, one in which China is slowly but surely rolling out slower paced maglev tech on the inner city level, and on quite an impressive scale it has to be said.\n\n## China's Provincial Maglevs\n\nThe first such line was the Changsha Maglev Express, which runs for a length of 11.5 miles (18.5 km) and connects Changsha Huanghua International Airport with Changsha South Railway Station. Operation commenced on the 16th of May 2016, after construction began in May 2014 and trial runs started in December 2015. It had an initial operating speed of 62 mph (100 kph) which was later upped to 87 mph (140 kph) following the introduction of a newer model of train in July 2021.\n\nAs things stand, the line has three stations, but there are plans to extend the system by 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometres) to include two additional underground stations at Terminals 2 and 3 (it currently just connects to Terminal 1). As for how much it cost, figures vary source to source, but the most commonly agreed upon amount is $749 million USD.\n\nThen there is the so called 'Skytrain,' which opened in early 2022. Built to serve Xingguo County in Guangzhou Province, this line took a rather different approach to its construction as compared to any of the others we have looked at, levitating itself above a rail which itself sits above the train, giving the passengers unmatched panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, and leaving them to feel as if they are flying as it glides above the ground – hence the name.\n\nInterestingly, unlike traditional maglevs, the Skytrain employs permanent magnets on the tracks rather than electromagnets, with the idea being to reduce the line's electricity usage, thereby making it both greener and cheaper to operate.\n\nIt currently runs at a maximum operating speed of 80 kph (50 mph) along a half mile (800-metre-long) stretch of track, and has a capacity for 88 passengers. In many ways, it is the direct descendant of the Shanghai Maglev, as in the exact same way that that was essentially a large scale testing and proofing line for high speed maglevs that could claw back some of its operating costs from paying passengers, so too is the Skytrain for its vertical suspension system – and all appears to have gone well, because barely a year after its opening an extension to it was announced that will see it extended to 4.7 miles (7.5 kilometres) in length and opened up to a top speed of 75 mph (120 kph).\n\nAs for how much it cost, no hard figures have ever been released, but Xingguo County officials have said that it set them back roughly 10% of the cost of a subway per kilometre – and since we know that a Chinese subway typically costs around $138 million USD per kilometre, we can have a reasonable guess that the 800-metre initial section of track cost them around $11 million USD.\n\nThen, in July 2022, Fenghuang in Hunan Province cut the ribbon on the 'Fenghuang Maglev,' a 5.7 mile (9.1 km) line that connects the city's high-speed railway station with the historic old city, stops off at several tourist hot spots along the way and runs at a maximum speed of 62 mph (100 kph).\n\nConstructed by the China Railway Engineering Corporation, the line was completed in just under two years for a reported cost of $329 million US Dollars. It is unapologetically a tourist line, and as such had enormous amounts of money put into building its stations in a way that reflected local architectural traditions – with an overall theme of the mythical fenghuang bird for which the city is named. Daily ridership currently sits at around 30,000, a little over the line's break even point, and seems to be suffering from no mechanical or reliability problems – so it was certainly a smart investment for the city of Fenghuang.\n\nAnd finally, there is also the 'Maglev Tourist Line,' currently under construction in Qingyuan, Guangdong province. Just like the previous line we looked at, it is to be an intentionally super high-tech top of the line system designed to bring in bucket loads of tourists cheaply and efficiently, and also to wow them with some whiz bang tech while doing so.\n\nIt is being built in three stages, the first of which runs for 5 miles (8.1 kilometres), connects Yinzhan Station on the Guangzhou–Qingyuan intercity line with Qingyuan Chimelong Theme Park, and is due to open for full public operation later this year. It is expected to carry 315 passengers per train at speeds of up to 75 mph (120 kph). The second stage will see it extended to 23.6 miles (38 kilometres) in length and connect the South China Tiger Breeding Centre and Meilin Lake to the line, and the third stage has yet to be announced.\n\nUltimately, all of that is just the tip of the iceberg, a small flavour to give you an idea of just how extensive provincial maglev construction has been in China – there are even more still, but if we were to go into all of them we would be here all day; so long as you have an awareness of there being loads of them, all is well!\n\n## Conclusion\n\nAnd with that, our story is done, at least for now, as this is an ongoing story.\n\nWill this all come together as planned? In a decade's time will China be blowing us out of the water with a network of sci-fi trains while most of us back in the west struggle even with 'just' conventional high-speed trains?\n\nFrankly, we think it's a safe bet they will. Not only does China have a near unbeaten record on megaprojects generally, but their maglev projects specifically actually look quite reasonable when you consider that China already has the tech, has some of the best minds on the globe working to refine it further, and is actually slapping their wallet down where it counts to pay for it.\n\nOh, and one last thing, China is also in the very early stages of developing a hyperloop system, a transportation system that uses capsules supported by an air-bearing surface within a low-pressure tube to achieve simply blistering speeds, and a prototype has already broken 387 mph (623 kph) in testing, and is aiming to go for a 621 mph (1,000 kph) record.\n\nSo, we'll meet you all back here in ten years for a video all about China's obsolete and soon to be surpassed maglev system then?\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n- China has successfully built 28,000 miles of high-speed rail, making it a global leader.\n- Maglev trains use magnetic levitation to eliminate friction, allowing for higher speeds.\n- The Shanghai Maglev, operational since 2004, is the fastest commercial train, reaching 268 mph.\n- China plans to expand its maglev network significantly, with over 2,485 miles announced.\n- Provincial maglev lines in China are being developed for both urban transit and tourism.\n\n## Frequently Asked Questions\n\n### What is a maglev train?\n\nA maglev train is a type of train that uses magnets to levitate over the tracks instead of using wheels. There are two main systems: Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) and Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS). Both systems use linear motors for propulsion and have mechanisms for guidance to keep the train stable and centered over the track.\n\n### What are the advantages of maglev trains?\n\nMaglev trains offer several advantages, including reduced maintenance due to the lack of physical contact with the tracks, and higher speeds because they eliminate friction. This makes them potentially faster and more efficient than traditional trains.\n\n### What is the Shanghai Maglev?\n\nThe Shanghai Maglev is a high-speed maglev line in China that runs from Pudong Airport to the city center. It opened in 2004 and is the fastest train in regular commercial service, with a top speed of 268 mph in routine service and 280 mph in testing. However, it has struggled to achieve financial viability.\n\n### What is the CRRC 600?\n\nThe CRRC 600 is a maglev train developed by the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC). It is designed to operate at speeds of up to 373 mph and is intended for intercity high-speed travel. The train is also planned to be fully autonomous but will have an attendant for safety.\n\n### What are some of the provincial maglev lines in China?\n\nSome of the provincial maglev lines in China include the Changsha Maglev Express, the Skytrain in Xingguo County, the Fenghuang Maglev, and the Maglev Tourist Line in Qingyuan. These lines vary in length and speed but are designed to serve both urban and tourist needs.\n\n### What is the cost of building maglev lines in China?\n\nThe cost of building maglev lines in China varies. The Shanghai Maglev cost approximately 1.2 billion USD for its 19.5-mile track. The cost of the upcoming maglev lines is estimated to be around the trillion-dollar mark when all is said and done, but this is a rough estimate.\n\n### When are the new maglev lines expected to open?\n\nThe new maglev lines in China are expected to open around 2030, with some of the shorter lines potentially opening earlier. However, Beijing has been reluctant to provide specific opening dates due to the subject of delays in megaprojects.\n\n### What is the Skytrain in Xingguo County?\n\nThe Skytrain in Xingguo County is a unique maglev line that levitates above a rail, providing passengers with panoramic views. It uses permanent magnets on the tracks to reduce electricity usage and is designed to be both greener and cheaper to operate. The initial section cost around 11 million USD.\n\n### What is the Fenghuang Maglev?\n\nThe Fenghuang Maglev is a 5.7-mile line in Fenghuang, Hunan Province, that connects the high-speed railway station with the historic old city. It runs at a maximum speed of 62 mph and is designed to be a tourist attraction, with stations built to reflect local architectural traditions.\n\n### What is the Maglev Tourist Line in Qingyuan?\n\nThe Maglev Tourist Line in Qingyuan is under construction and will connect Yinzhan Station with Qingyuan Chimelong Theme Park in its first stage. It is designed to carry 315 passengers per train at speeds of up to 75 mph and is intended to attract tourists with its high-tech features.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Original MegaProjects video: A Chinese Maglev Revolution is Coming...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlbNzjVFDHo)\n- [Hero image source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Shanghai_Pudong_Airport_2024_%28cropped%29.jpg) by User:Yuezhi_Huang / openverse, by-sa.\n\n## Related Coverage" url: https://megaprojects.pub/article/chinese-maglev-revolution-coming.md canonical: https://megaprojects.pub/article/chinese-maglev-revolution-coming datePublished: 2026-07-02 dateModified: 2026-07-02 author: - name: Simon Whistler url: https://megaprojects.pub/author/simon-whistler publisher: MegaProjects image: "https://media.megaprojects.pub/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=338,fit=cover,quality=80,format=auto/articles/RlbNzjVFDHo/hero.jpg" type: NewsArticle contentHash: ffa2b3dd49bbb3711636f67cf7e9e2ae4a00190de1e44e16ed79454b4a3c5632 tokens: 5883 summaryUrl: https://megaprojects.pub/article/chinese-maglev-revolution-coming.md.summary.md --- If there's one country that really 'gets' infrastructure, it's China – one of the few nations on earth that has a habit of regularly announcing vast and bewildering megaprojects of all stripes, and more often than not, actually seeing them through to completion. It feels like only yesterday that they were announcing a grand plan to completely revolutionise rail travel in the country with the construction of a vast and comprehensive network of high-speed lines that covered the entire nation – certainly no small feat given how big the place is. And yet, despite the scepticism and even mockery that they received from some western pundits at the time, here we are in 2024, and sure enough, China now has 28,000 miles (45,000 km) of the stuff, enough to make the majority of high speed rail in the world, period, Chinese. And yet, it appears as though Beijing is not satisfied with 'merely' just blowing the rest of the world out of the water when it comes to conventional rail, as they are currently in the nascent stages of doing it all over again with another, much more sci-fi type of rail: maglev. ## What is Maglev? Let's get things started by clarifying something crucial that will underpin this whole discussion – what even is a maglev train anyway? Well, to put it simply, a maglev train does exactly what it says on the tin – it is a train that uses magnets, mag, to levitate, lev, over the tracks it uses, rather than sit on them with those archaic wheel things that trains have otherwise used since the black and white days of top hats and mutton chops. To go into more detail however, maglev trains use two different sorts of systems: Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) and Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS). EMS uses electromagnets built onto the train itself, which interact with ferromagnetic rails. When energized, these electromagnets create a magnetic field that repels the train from the rail, lifting it into a levitated state. This system requires stringent active control to keep the train stable and maintain a consistent gap between the train and the track, because should the train's electromagnets fail, or the magnetic field between track and train be disrupted, the people on board are not going to be having a good day. By contrast, EDS employs superconducting magnets on the train to generate magnetic fields that interact with conductive coils in the track. As the train moves, it induces currents in these coils, creating magnetic fields that lift the train by repulsion – a subtle but distinct difference, and one that still comes with the same very important safety concerns of EMS. For propulsion, both EDS and EMS trains use linear motors. Unlike traditional motors in a 'normal' electric or diesel-powered locomotive, which generate power on board and use a transmission to 'push' that power into a set of wheels, which turn, and move the locomotive along as they do so, a linear motor is instead positioned outside of the locomotive along the track, and the electromagnetic field it generates 'pushes' the locomotive forward. Speed regulation is achieved by altering the electrical current of the linear motor – draw more power, and you'll go faster; less, and you'll go slower; cut it all together, and you'll come to a halt. Since maglev trains don't actually touch their tracks, guidance is also quite a bit of a big deal. After all, a maglev train 'clipping' its rails and ploughing several hundred passengers into the ground at high speed wouldn't exactly be conducive to the operation of a reliable and profitable timetable. It is achieved, typically, through systems that integrate with the levitation mechanisms, but in different ways depending on the type of maglev in question. In EMS configurations, the electromagnets that levitate the train also provide lateral stability, keeping the train centred over the track, and by contrast, EDS systems often utilise the inherent stability provided by its magnetic fields, which naturally centre the train above the track as it moves. Why bother with all of this then, as it all sounds like a bit of a faff doesn't it, at least compared to just letting George Stephenson's 200 year refined mechanical child do its thing on good old fashioned metal rails? Well, partly it is due to maintenance, or rather the lack thereof that maglev lines need as compared to traditional lines; there is very little wear and tear on the tracks since nothing actually touches them, and thus a fortune can be saved on highly qualified, and very expensive permanent way engineers. Such a consideration is drab however, and a 'far' more exciting one is speed. Again, since maglev trains don't actually touch the track, it means that a particular demon that has cursed railway engineers for over two centuries now can be banished down to the pits of hell – friction. For the swiftly minded, friction is the enemy – always present, touching your wheels, slowing you down; by eliminating it all together, you eliminate one of the major caps to a locomotive's maximum speed. ## The Shanghai Maglev Now for some background context. China's current foray into maglev trains isn't actually its first attempt, as they last had a go back in the late 90s, a time when, to be blunt, its rail system was a massive pile of junk; its trains were old, they were slow, and they were uncomfortable – an absolute disgrace for a nation which was then in its nascent stage of becoming one of the big boys on the world stage. Finding this state of affairs irksome, Beijing resolved to do something about it by constructing a vast network of inter-city high-speed trains. But this presented a question: what form should the new network take? Did they go for Japanese style conventional bullet-trains, which were tried and tested, or did they go for this whizz-bang maglev stuff? Intrigued by the latter prospect, they commissioned the German company Transrapid, then pioneers in the tech, to build them a line in Shanghai – one that ran from Pudong Airport to the city centre. This was quite a sensible approach to be fair, because even if they didn't pursue maglev any further, Shanghai still got a belting airport connection out of it. Construction began in March 2001, and after a lengthy period of testing, it opened to public traffic in January 2004. The end result stretched for 19.5 miles (30.5 km), and still remains the fastest train in regular commercial service in the whole world, topping out at 268 mph (431 kph) in routine service, with an overall top speed of 280 mph (450 kph), which it hit in pre-service testing. Its construction was a monumental financial undertaking, costing approximately $39.759 million USD per kilometre, totalling around $1.2 billion USD for the entire line. As a result of this cost, and despite the impressive technological achievement that the line represents, it has struggled to achieve financial viability, and has more or less run at a loss every year of its operation. As a result of this, maglev was not selected for further development when the time came, and instead they went for conventional high-speed trains. Oh, and a small tangent before we bring this chapter to a close – we can personally vouch for what an utterly insane experience it is riding the Shanghai Maglev. The sensation of such speed simply cannot be accurately relayed with words alone, and we recommend everyone put it on their bucket list immediately. ## The Coming Revolution Following the failure of the Shanghai Maglev to be selected for wider adoption, it was assumed that that was it; that Beijing had placed all of its chips on the red spot of conventional high speed rail, and was not going to be making a cheeky flutter on the black maglev spot – and that the Shanghai Maglev was just going to be left doing its thing in isolation until it inevitably broke, became too expensive to repair, and was ferried off to a railway museum somewhere to sit gathering dust as a glorious monument to what could have been had Beijing felt just a tad more risky back in the early noughties. But then, in 2016, everything changed, as the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), a state-owned rolling stock company, suddenly announced that it had begun work on a new maglev train, one that they hoped would reach a top speed of 373 mph (600 kph), which would make it the single fastest thing on earth, period. "Sure you are!" The western world's press said in unison as they patronisingly patted the CRRC on the head – completely blind to the fact that China is a country that regularly announces megaprojects of all kinds, and more often than not, actually sees them through to completion. Imagine their surprise then, when not even two months later, the CRRC announced it was going to start construction on a 3.1 mile (5 km) stretch of test track in Qingdao which would allow them to put the new train through its paces and run it up to its maximum speed, with a view to having it completed by the back end of 2018 – China really was serious about large scale maglev production. From there things went quiet for a time as CRRC's boffins retreated to their workshops and set about the long and arduous task of bringing a fully functional top of the line intercity high speed maglev train, and a system of tracks above which it could float, into reality. Slowly but surely, a few years down the line, more and more maglev lines got announced as CRRC's work only went from strength to strength. It started off small at first, with Beijing announcing in 2019 that it was going to build a 621 mile (1,000 km) network of nine different maglev lines, the most notable aspects of which were a 102 mile (164 km) stretch between Shanghai and Hangzhou, a 68 mile (110 km) line linking Guangzhou with Shenzhen, and a 188 mile (302 km) long Chengdu to Chongqing connection. From there, in true Chinese megaproject form, things got just a bit bigger, and by early 2021, lines linking Urumqi to Lanzhou, Chengdu to Deyang, Shanghai to Hangzhou, and Shanghai to Shenzhen were all announced as well. But wait, there's more, because then, by the close of 2021, further lines from Beijing to Shanghai were announced, as well as a cheeky little extra spur to pop Hong Kong onto the end of the Guangzhou to Shenzhen line – tot all of this up, and currently give or take 2,485 miles (4,000 km) of maglev lines have been announced. As for when this will all open, that is more difficult to say. Beijing is, perhaps quite sensibly given how subject to delays megaprojects tend to be, reluctant to put a hard date on any of these lines' opening dates, but looking at what Chinese newspapers say, expect to see the ribbons likely being cut around 2030, with maybe a few of the shorter ones opening a touch earlier. When it comes to cost however, we just don't have a clue. There's so little reliable reporting out there on this specific matter that it really is difficult to say. But just for the sake of having 'a' number to work with, if we note the fact that the Shanghai Maglev cost $1.2 billion USD for its 19.5 mile (31.5 km) track, which is worth just over $2 billion USD today, and that Japan is predicting to spend $82 billion USD on its 285 km Chūō Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Nagoya, it isn't unreasonable to suspect that the cost of all of China's maglev lines may well creep up to close to the trillion dollar USD mark when all is said and done. Sounds mad, but when you consider that that figure is around the yearly US military budget mark, that the Chinese economy isn't that much smaller, and that the cost is being split over many years, it is certainly in the realms of realism at least. Now, that's all fun and games – but what of the train that will glide over all of those tracks? That's the fast bit, that's the bit we really all care about, so what's going on with that? Well, worry not, because that question was answered in 2021, when the CRRC 600 glided out of the factory in Qingdao and was announced to the public. It is a five-car set, able to be expanded up to ten cars, and is designed to operate at speeds of 373 mph (600 kph), hence the name. Its unveiling followed extensive testing phases, including a successful test run of a prototype on a 1.5 km guideway at Tongji University in Shanghai back in 2019. It still hasn't finished testing and entered serial production, because CRRC really want to get it right, which is probably sensible given what is at stake if such a fast-floating train has a whoopsie daisy. The brakes alone, which work through using a magnetic pole to apply magnetic force in the opposite direction of travel, took over 19 months to develop and engineer. It is also planned to be fully autonomous, but not unmanned, with its driver being referred to as an 'attendant' in CRRC press releases – someone who can drive the train if they have to, but in 99% of operation will just be keeping an eye on things and making sure the automatic systems are functioning correctly. Now, this is all jolly exciting, but it's only one part of the story. Because while all of this big and fancy intercity maglev stuff is capturing the front pages, a much more humble story is unfolding on the back pages, one in which China is slowly but surely rolling out slower paced maglev tech on the inner city level, and on quite an impressive scale it has to be said. ## China's Provincial Maglevs The first such line was the Changsha Maglev Express, which runs for a length of 11.5 miles (18.5 km) and connects Changsha Huanghua International Airport with Changsha South Railway Station. Operation commenced on the 16th of May 2016, after construction began in May 2014 and trial runs started in December 2015. It had an initial operating speed of 62 mph (100 kph) which was later upped to 87 mph (140 kph) following the introduction of a newer model of train in July 2021. As things stand, the line has three stations, but there are plans to extend the system by 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometres) to include two additional underground stations at Terminals 2 and 3 (it currently just connects to Terminal 1). As for how much it cost, figures vary source to source, but the most commonly agreed upon amount is $749 million USD. Then there is the so called 'Skytrain,' which opened in early 2022. Built to serve Xingguo County in Guangzhou Province, this line took a rather different approach to its construction as compared to any of the others we have looked at, levitating itself above a rail which itself sits above the train, giving the passengers unmatched panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, and leaving them to feel as if they are flying as it glides above the ground – hence the name. Interestingly, unlike traditional maglevs, the Skytrain employs permanent magnets on the tracks rather than electromagnets, with the idea being to reduce the line's electricity usage, thereby making it both greener and cheaper to operate. It currently runs at a maximum operating speed of 80 kph (50 mph) along a half mile (800-metre-long) stretch of track, and has a capacity for 88 passengers. In many ways, it is the direct descendant of the Shanghai Maglev, as in the exact same way that that was essentially a large scale testing and proofing line for high speed maglevs that could claw back some of its operating costs from paying passengers, so too is the Skytrain for its vertical suspension system – and all appears to have gone well, because barely a year after its opening an extension to it was announced that will see it extended to 4.7 miles (7.5 kilometres) in length and opened up to a top speed of 75 mph (120 kph). As for how much it cost, no hard figures have ever been released, but Xingguo County officials have said that it set them back roughly 10% of the cost of a subway per kilometre – and since we know that a Chinese subway typically costs around $138 million USD per kilometre, we can have a reasonable guess that the 800-metre initial section of track cost them around $11 million USD. Then, in July 2022, Fenghuang in Hunan Province cut the ribbon on the 'Fenghuang Maglev,' a 5.7 mile (9.1 km) line that connects the city's high-speed railway station with the historic old city, stops off at several tourist hot spots along the way and runs at a maximum speed of 62 mph (100 kph). Constructed by the China Railway Engineering Corporation, the line was completed in just under two years for a reported cost of $329 million US Dollars. It is unapologetically a tourist line, and as such had enormous amounts of money put into building its stations in a way that reflected local architectural traditions – with an overall theme of the mythical fenghuang bird for which the city is named. Daily ridership currently sits at around 30,000, a little over the line's break even point, and seems to be suffering from no mechanical or reliability problems – so it was certainly a smart investment for the city of Fenghuang. And finally, there is also the 'Maglev Tourist Line,' currently under construction in Qingyuan, Guangdong province. Just like the previous line we looked at, it is to be an intentionally super high-tech top of the line system designed to bring in bucket loads of tourists cheaply and efficiently, and also to wow them with some whiz bang tech while doing so. It is being built in three stages, the first of which runs for 5 miles (8.1 kilometres), connects Yinzhan Station on the Guangzhou–Qingyuan intercity line with Qingyuan Chimelong Theme Park, and is due to open for full public operation later this year. It is expected to carry 315 passengers per train at speeds of up to 75 mph (120 kph). The second stage will see it extended to 23.6 miles (38 kilometres) in length and connect the South China Tiger Breeding Centre and Meilin Lake to the line, and the third stage has yet to be announced. Ultimately, all of that is just the tip of the iceberg, a small flavour to give you an idea of just how extensive provincial maglev construction has been in China – there are even more still, but if we were to go into all of them we would be here all day; so long as you have an awareness of there being loads of them, all is well! ## Conclusion And with that, our story is done, at least for now, as this is an ongoing story. Will this all come together as planned? In a decade's time will China be blowing us out of the water with a network of sci-fi trains while most of us back in the west struggle even with 'just' conventional high-speed trains? Frankly, we think it's a safe bet they will. Not only does China have a near unbeaten record on megaprojects generally, but their maglev projects specifically actually look quite reasonable when you consider that China already has the tech, has some of the best minds on the globe working to refine it further, and is actually slapping their wallet down where it counts to pay for it. Oh, and one last thing, China is also in the very early stages of developing a hyperloop system, a transportation system that uses capsules supported by an air-bearing surface within a low-pressure tube to achieve simply blistering speeds, and a prototype has already broken 387 mph (623 kph) in testing, and is aiming to go for a 621 mph (1,000 kph) record. So, we'll meet you all back here in ten years for a video all about China's obsolete and soon to be surpassed maglev system then? ## Key Takeaways - China has successfully built 28,000 miles of high-speed rail, making it a global leader. - Maglev trains use magnetic levitation to eliminate friction, allowing for higher speeds. - The Shanghai Maglev, operational since 2004, is the fastest commercial train, reaching 268 mph. - China plans to expand its maglev network significantly, with over 2,485 miles announced. - Provincial maglev lines in China are being developed for both urban transit and tourism. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a maglev train? A maglev train is a type of train that uses magnets to levitate over the tracks instead of using wheels. There are two main systems: Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) and Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS). Both systems use linear motors for propulsion and have mechanisms for guidance to keep the train stable and centered over the track. ### What are the advantages of maglev trains? Maglev trains offer several advantages, including reduced maintenance due to the lack of physical contact with the tracks, and higher speeds because they eliminate friction. This makes them potentially faster and more efficient than traditional trains. ### What is the Shanghai Maglev? The Shanghai Maglev is a high-speed maglev line in China that runs from Pudong Airport to the city center. It opened in 2004 and is the fastest train in regular commercial service, with a top speed of 268 mph in routine service and 280 mph in testing. However, it has struggled to achieve financial viability. ### What is the CRRC 600? The CRRC 600 is a maglev train developed by the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC). It is designed to operate at speeds of up to 373 mph and is intended for intercity high-speed travel. The train is also planned to be fully autonomous but will have an attendant for safety. ### What are some of the provincial maglev lines in China? Some of the provincial maglev lines in China include the Changsha Maglev Express, the Skytrain in Xingguo County, the Fenghuang Maglev, and the Maglev Tourist Line in Qingyuan. These lines vary in length and speed but are designed to serve both urban and tourist needs. ### What is the cost of building maglev lines in China? The cost of building maglev lines in China varies. The Shanghai Maglev cost approximately 1.2 billion USD for its 19.5-mile track. The cost of the upcoming maglev lines is estimated to be around the trillion-dollar mark when all is said and done, but this is a rough estimate. ### When are the new maglev lines expected to open? The new maglev lines in China are expected to open around 2030, with some of the shorter lines potentially opening earlier. However, Beijing has been reluctant to provide specific opening dates due to the subject of delays in megaprojects. ### What is the Skytrain in Xingguo County? The Skytrain in Xingguo County is a unique maglev line that levitates above a rail, providing passengers with panoramic views. It uses permanent magnets on the tracks to reduce electricity usage and is designed to be both greener and cheaper to operate. The initial section cost around 11 million USD. ### What is the Fenghuang Maglev? The Fenghuang Maglev is a 5.7-mile line in Fenghuang, Hunan Province, that connects the high-speed railway station with the historic old city. It runs at a maximum speed of 62 mph and is designed to be a tourist attraction, with stations built to reflect local architectural traditions. ### What is the Maglev Tourist Line in Qingyuan? The Maglev Tourist Line in Qingyuan is under construction and will connect Yinzhan Station with Qingyuan Chimelong Theme Park in its first stage. It is designed to carry 315 passengers per train at speeds of up to 75 mph and is intended to attract tourists with its high-tech features. ## Sources - [Original MegaProjects video: A Chinese Maglev Revolution is Coming...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlbNzjVFDHo) - [Hero image source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Shanghai_Pudong_Airport_2024_%28cropped%29.jpg) by User:Yuezhi_Huang / openverse, by-sa. ## Related Coverage