China Just One-Upped Itself by Building the World’s Fastest Train — Again

China has long been committed to high-speed rail to link the many large cities spread out on its vast territory. Previously, the fastest commercial train in the world was the Shanghai Transrapid, hitting speeds of 267 mph per hour. But as of Tuesday, July 20, 2021, China has one-upped itself and launched a maglev bullet train, the new fastest commercial train in the world, which can reach speeds of up to 373 mph.

Magnetic levitation, or maglev, creates the illusion that the train is floating while an electromagnetic force causes the train to move above the train tracks.

China’s new maglev bullet train is said to generate less noise pollution and require less maintenance, according to the deputy general manager and chief engineer of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, Sifang Liang Jianying.

There is currently only one maglev track in use, which connects Shanghai’s Pudong Airport with the Longyang Road Station in the metropolitan area. The 30-kilometer (19-mile) trip takes fewer than eight minutes. New maglev tracks are now under construction, CNN reports.