China unveils "magnetic train" traveling at a speed close to jet speed

China has unveiled a prototype high-speed train aimed at speeds of around 400 mph (more than 600 km/h).

The unveiling of the new prototype of the magnetic suspended train, or maglev, ultra-fast, occurred on a small area of the test track in Chengdu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

It was created by scientists at Jiaotong Southwest University, who believe that the train can travel quickly some jet planes.

The goal is for the vehicle to be a next-generation magnetic train that will be much cheaper and faster than the current train options.

The train is designed to travel at 385 mph (620 km/h). This is equivalent to travelling by train from London to Paris in 47 minutes.

I can’t wait to bring you guys LIVE footage from the MAGLEV TRAIN here in China! It’s going to blow your mind trust me! @CGTNOfficial pic.twitter.com/9djVc5YaRo

— JERRY GOODE诸葛杰瑞 (@MrJerryGoode) January 15, 2021

However, scientists do not want to stop there and hope to push the speed to 497 mph (800 km/h).

A similar suspended magnetic train will be operational in Japan in 2027.

However, Chinese scientists are said to believe that their design is more efficient. China's new Maglev train is based on high-end conductor technology that can make it faster and lighter than its competitors.

The train has no wheels and no driver because it uses a special magnetic track to pull it off.

Lokomotif purwarupa yang menggunakan teknologi maglev superkonduktor suhu tinggi (HTS) diluncurkan di Chengdu, Tiongkok barat daya, Rabu (13/1). Kereta maglev adalah kereta yang dikembangkan di dalam negeri dengan kecepatan yang dirancang 620 km per jam https://t.co/lOStqAShqr pic.twitter.com/1hsYI45RIN

— Xinhua Indonesia (@XHIndonesia) January 15, 2021

Lighter trains mean that the cost of building new lines, tunnels and bridges must also be reduced.

The train can move very quickly with maglev's ultra-high-temperature magnetic lift power, which means it doesn't need any extra power to keep itself suspended.

All of this may sound impressive, but the prototype of the train has not yet finished a full journey, and a lot of fine-tuning must be made before we see it work properly.