this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2025
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China just launched the worlds fastest ground transport a 600kmh maglev train now connecting Shanghai and Beijing (peertube.mesnumeriques.fr)
submitted 1 week ago by yogthos@lemmygrad.ml to c/technology@hexbear.net
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[–] bort@hexbear.net 23 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

China just launched the worlds fastest ground transport a 600kmh maglev train now connecting Shanghai and Beijing

No they didn't. They've successfully tested a new maglev which could potentially connect SH and BJ, but the line doesn't exist yet.

They already tested maglev in Shanghai years ago, and then decided to go with conventional HSR for their national network, so this again might go nowhere if it's not deemed to be an efficient or practical enough system.

Personally I don't see it happening any time soon (though I'd be excited to try it if it is built). You can already get from Beijing to Shanghai by train in like 4 hours; building a whole new high-tech line seems like a lot of work just to save an hour or two.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Saving a couple of hours per person is a lot of hours given the volume of people this infrastructure moves. Also, people are a lot more likely to go on a two hour trip than a 4 hour one. This makes it possible to go from SH to BJ and come back the same day which means you'd have a lot more people travelling and a stimulus to the economy as a result.

[–] bort@hexbear.net 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I can appreciate how it'd be valuable, I just don't see it happening anytime soon.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I guess we'll see, but I don't really see why they wouldn't bother. I mean it's a way for state to create a whole bunch of employment.

[–] bort@hexbear.net 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It'd be wildly expensive for minimal gains. As I said, they've already tested maglev in Shanghai years ago and then judged traditional HSR to be a better system nationwide.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but again I just can't see it happening in the near future.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Halving travel time is not a minimal gain, but more importantly it's a demonstration of technological prowess. If China has a commercial maglev operating it's a showcase of things they can build for other countries. It's important to keep in mind that a lot of countries don't have well developed HSR systems or much rail at all. If China can now offer building maglev for them which is ahead of what any other country can do.

[–] bort@hexbear.net 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Again I hope it happens.

I think we can both agree we've got our fingers crossed for the Chinese rail network in all its forms.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Indeed, I'm just noting factors in favor of building a demonstration line even if it might seem wasteful on the surface.

[–] bort@hexbear.net 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Shanghai-Beijing wouldn't be a demonstration line, it'd be an enormous project.

The Shanghai Pudong line was a demo and frankly it failed to sell maglev as a concept, mainly because of NIMBY limitations admittedly, that's the problem I think.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 week ago

It would have to be a big project because you don't really get the benefits otherwise. The train needs time to accelerate and decelerate, and it's only worth building a track over a very long distance where it can mostly go in a straight line at top speed.

[–] Bronstein_Tardigrade@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Capitalist thinking. A government that will do something to actually help the working class, simply because it helps the working class, is beyond western, imperialist thinking.

[–] bort@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

China still has to spend its limited resources efficiently. It’d help the working class if they gave everyone in China a million RMB tomorrow, but obviously they can’t and won’t do that.

[–] Bronstein_Tardigrade@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 week ago

Some would argue that removing environmentally destructive jets from the sky is an efficient and necessary use of resources.

[–] LaughingLion@hexbear.net 7 points 1 week ago

the chinese cycle:

"okay its just a preliminary test"

"okay they just tested it again"

"alright they implemented it but it wont be feasible"

"so its feasible but they wont expand implementation"

BREAKING: China expands implementation.

[–] btbt@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The only people who could ever eventually find a way to go faster than the speed of light are Chinese train engineers

[–] SexUnderSocialism@hexbear.net 6 points 1 week ago

I look forward to being able to travel within China at maximum warp. Make it so. picard-pointing

[–] Bronstein_Tardigrade@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 week ago

GE sold their Locomotive Division to the Chinese to initially get the wheels turning. No market in the US for hi-speed trains, and just look at them now. More of that technology the Chinese "stole" from the US.

[–] LaughingLion@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago

hover-train gang