New world record for Chinese engineers: a magnetic levitation train accelerated to 700 km/h
Rice geniuses are always on the move, constantly improving.
Chinese engineers from the National University of Defense Technology in Changsha, Hunan Province, set a new world record in magnetic levitation on December 25, 2025.
They accelerated a test platform weighing over 1 ton to a speed of 700 km/h in just 2 seconds on a 400-meter test line using superconducting electromagnetic propulsion. The platform not only achieved the record speed but also demonstrated precise and safe braking, which is crucial, as any malfunction at such accelerations could have turned the experiment into an expensive fireworks show.
The same team's previous record was 648 km/h, achieved in January 2025. The project has been in development for over 10 years, and the scientists have overcome key challenges: ultra-high-speed electromagnetic propulsion, suspension, energy storage, and powerful superconducting magnets.
Simply put, a maglev train works like this: a platform hovers above the rails thanks to powerful magnets that push it away from the track, eliminating friction. Superconducting magnets, cooled to ultra-low temperatures, create a massive electromagnetic field that literally propels the platform forward—like a catapult, only without the rope and risking passengers' hair.
This achievement makes China a leader in ultra-high-speed maglev technology. It could potentially pave the way for vacuum tube systems capable of speeds exceeding 1,000 km/h. From Beijing to Shanghai in half an hour, without traffic jams and with minimal risk of being late for work. Five minutes to Futurama.
Scientists are confident that the technology will also be useful in the aerospace industry, for example, for electromagnetically accelerating rockets at launch, making spaceflight cheaper.
