China begins work on world's fastest maglev train

CRRC is also building a three-mile track to test the new locomotive

A Chinese firm is aiming to build the world’s fastest magnetic levitation train that will achieve a record speed of 373mph.

The China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), one of the largest train manufacturers in the world, recently announced that it had begun work on the new maglev train, which will be faster than any other train currently in operation.



The CRRC is also building a three-mile track to test this maglev train, according to Chinese press agency, Xinhua.

Sun Bangcheng, a CRRC official said the firm was also working on a 124mph maglev train, with the aim of “establishing domestic technology and standard systems for... high-speed transportation...globally.”

China has the world’s largest high-speed rail network, with over 12,400 miles of track already built, and funded with $538 billion in government money.



Last year, Japan’s state-of-the-art maglev train set a world speed record in a test run near Mount Fuji, clocking more than 600km per hour. By 2045, maglev trains are expected to link Tokyo and Osaka in just one hour and seven minutes, slashing the journey time in half.

This article originally appeared on The Verge