China’s magnetic levitation (maglev) railway has reportedly succeeded in a test run that reached 800 km/h in just 5.3 seconds from a standing start, then brought the train to a safe stop. On 5ch’s Science News+ board, discussion has centered on the G-forces passengers would experience, whether decelerating over such a short distance is safe, and how the technology differs from Japan’s superconducting maglev.
New World Record: China’s Maglev Train Hits 800 km/h Just 5 Seconds After Launch
The results of a magnetic levitation (maglev) railway test conducted in China are drawing the attention of engineers and security experts around the world.
The train accelerated rapidly to 800 km/h in a mere 5.3 seconds, then successfully came to a smooth stop.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
The Shinkansen only does 300 km/h and still has that platypus-bill nose, but this thing hits 800 km/h and looks totally ordinary.
>>2
The platypus-bill shape is to reduce the shock when entering tunnels. If there's no tunnel, the shape can be a lot simpler.
The platypus-bill shape is to reduce the shock when entering tunnels. If there's no tunnel, the shape can be a lot simpler.
If you accelerate to 800 km/h over 10 seconds, that works out to about 2.27G (roughly 22.25 m/s²). That's like being pressed back into your seat with about 2.27 times the force of Earth's gravity.
If a 70kg driver experiences a 2G load, the effective weight on their body doubles to 140kg (about 1,372 newtons).
If a 70kg driver experiences a 2G load, the effective weight on their body doubles to 140kg (about 1,372 newtons).
>>8
It's actually 5 seconds, so double that again?
It's actually 5 seconds, so double that again?
My earlier number was wrong. Accelerating to 800 km/h in 5 seconds works out to about 4.54G.
If a 70kg driver takes a 4.45G load (4.45 times Earth's gravity), the total force on their body is equivalent to about 311.5kg (3,054.8 newtons).
Kind of like having three 100kg (220 lb) guys sitting on top of you?
If a 70kg driver takes a 4.45G load (4.45 times Earth's gravity), the total force on their body is equivalent to about 311.5kg (3,054.8 newtons).
Kind of like having three 100kg (220 lb) guys sitting on top of you?
>>13
I have a vague feeling aircraft acceleration/deceleration G-forces are around 1.3G — compare that.
I have a vague feeling aircraft acceleration/deceleration G-forces are around 1.3G — compare that.
Japan's railgun also has a muzzle velocity of 3 km/s, you know.
>>19
Crank that up just a bit more than double and it'd circle the globe and come back to hit you…
Crank that up just a bit more than double and it'd circle the globe and come back to hit you…
This is a high-speed test using a small-scale vehicle. Judging by the video, the method is close to JR's approach. China also has another test line using the conventional (normal-conducting) electromagnet method that's producing similar results. They're probably still weighing which one to go with.
>>24
Last year's article said the National University of Defense Technology's system uses superconducting electromagnetic levitation and propulsion.
https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2025/12/557701.shtm
https://www.instagram.com/p/DSrfkgjFB96/
This time it says the Hubei Donghu Laboratory's system uses electromagnetic levitation support and propulsion — I wonder how that differs?
Last year's article said the National University of Defense Technology's system uses superconducting electromagnetic levitation and propulsion.
https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2025/12/557701.shtm
https://www.instagram.com/p/DSrfkgjFB96/
This time it says the Hubei Donghu Laboratory's system uses electromagnetic levitation support and propulsion — I wonder how that differs?
4.27G, huh? That's nuts.
>>34
Wasn't blackout from blood being unable to reach the brain supposed to start around 5G? Apparently there's individual variation too — some people can't even handle 3G — so with this kind of acceleration, a few passengers would probably pass out, and if anyone has a health condition or is frail, it could get dangerous.
Wasn't blackout from blood being unable to reach the brain supposed to start around 5G? Apparently there's individual variation too — some people can't even handle 3G — so with this kind of acceleration, a few passengers would probably pass out, and if anyone has a health condition or is frail, it could get dangerous.
The issue isn't the acceleration, it's the deceleration. If you can't stop safely over a short distance, you can't even reach that speed in the first place.
>>37
Well, but even the original Shinkansen was designed so the driver can't stop in time to avoid an obstacle by sight alone.
Well, but even the original Shinkansen was designed so the driver can't stop in time to avoid an obstacle by sight alone.
In Japan this would just mean longer transfer times with zero benefit — and it'd take 10 minutes just to get down underground to begin with.
However you look at it, this is an aircraft-carrier electromagnetic catapult.
>>55
Carrier catapults are only a few dozen meters long, though. Can this method even reach that kind of speed over such a short distance?
Carrier catapults are only a few dozen meters long, though. Can this method even reach that kind of speed over such a short distance?
This isn't for humans, it's for humanoid robots. They made it general-purpose, so it has to carry them seated in human-style seats. But since it's a CCP product, the question is whether it can actually hold up to 4.54G.
>>59
If you rode this right after eating, you'd throw it all up spectacularly lol
If you rode this right after eating, you'd throw it all up spectacularly lol
Inside a train that hits 800 km/h in 5 seconds from a standstill: any unsecured luggage, phones, and standing passengers would go 'flying' toward the rear wall the instant it launches, at speeds exceeding 160 km/h (pro-baseball-fastball territory). The cabin would be a disaster zone in an instant.
I mean, that's terrifying lol
I mean, that's terrifying lol
>>92
Americans would probably love this kind of extreme stuff. There's a small chance the US and China team up on it.
Americans would probably love this kind of extreme stuff. There's a small chance the US and China team up on it.
>>92
Everyone would need seatbelts and no eating or drinking allowed. Phones, earbuds, all bags would have to be stowed.
Everyone would need seatbelts and no eating or drinking allowed. Phones, earbuds, all bags would have to be stowed.
So it's beaten Japan's maglev. China's maglev uses the German system, so unlike Japan's it doesn't need to run underground. It should also be cheaper to build than Japan's method — though Germany itself abandoned commercialization over the cost, even so.
>>113
The reason Japan's superconducting maglev runs underground is that buying up the land for the route isn't realistic.
The reason Japan's superconducting maglev runs underground is that buying up the land for the route isn't realistic.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Science News+) thread “[Railways] New World Record: China’s Maglev Train Hits 800 km/h Just 5 Seconds After Launch.”
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