China develops first maglev train
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-01-10 15:47

Chinese engineers have developed the country's first medium- and low-speed magnetic levitation train which travels 150 kilometers her hour, the developers said on Tuesday.

A series of tests show that the performance of the train reached the standards for safety and reliability, said engineers who have spent two years in the development.

The train, which also produces low noise and is pollution free with low maintenance cost, will be mainly used for the urban traffic system of the country.

Compared with fast maglev trains, the medium- and low-speed ones consume less energy. Therefore, the construction of medium- and low-speed maglev train lines in urban areas has become a new focus worldwide, according to industry insiders.

China opened the world's first commercial magnetic levitation train with the highest velocity of more than 430 kilometers per hour in Shanghai in 2002, based on German technology. The development of the medium- and low-speed maglev train indicated China has become the third country in the world able to build maglev trains, following Germany and Japan.

Maglev train lines have been considered as an effective means to deal with the heavy passenger flow in the Yangtze River Delta, one of the economic powerhouses in China.