China has begun research and development on a new
"super-speed" railway technology, an official with China's
Ministry of Railways (MOR) said Tuesday. The new technology will
increase the average speed of trains to over 310 mph (500 kph),
said MOR Chief Engineer He Huawu at conference held in central
China's Wuhan City.
Meanwhile, the 250-310 mph (400-500 kph) high-speed railway
technology is in its final phase of development, and the 235 mph
(380 kph) trains are already coming off production lines, he
added.
To go beyond the "super-speed" railroad technology, maglev
is required. China's maglev route connecting the Shanghai Airport
with the city has been in operation from before the opening of
the greatly successful Shanghai Expo. Total attendance for the
Expo, which closes Oct. 30, should top 70 million. While
comparatively few of the attendees have experienced the maglev, a
significant proportion of the world's elite have made it to
Shanghai for the Expo and have ridden the next generation of
guided transportation.
