CHINA: Test running has started on an experimental suspended maglev in southern China, following the formal completion of an 800 m test track on August 9.
Branded ‘Red Railway’, the suspended maglev at Ganzhou in Jiangxi Province’s Xingguo County has been developed by Jiangxi University of Science & Technology, which estimates the cost at around 10% of a conventional metro line.
Neodymium permanent magnets in the guideway both support and propel the ‘sky train’ vehicles, whereas Germany’s similar H-bahn suspended monorail concept uses rubber tyred wheelsets.
A prototype two-car train developed in Wuhan offers capacity for 88 seated and standing passengers. It is reported to have a top speed of 80 km/h, although the researchers hope to increase this to 120 km/h in the future.
The promoters envisage that the initial 800 m test track with one station will form the basis of a 7·5 km line for revenue operation.
