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The article mentions "designed top speed of 600 km per hour". But then a bit further it mentions "Now the prototype has achieved static levitation and is in goo
by athenot 7y ago
The article mentions "designed top speed of 600 km per hour". But then a bit further it mentions "Now the prototype has achieved static levitation and is in good condition" (emphasis mine). That leaves me wondering what was the actual speed reached during testing and what will be the actual operational speed.
Don't get me wrong, I still find this project impressive.
But there's a fair amount of boasting going on as well. For example the French TGV boasted a measured record of 574 km/h. But that's on a (modified) test unit and a test track. Operational speed is about 320 km/h on most tracks.
Perhaps they simply haven't gotten to the testing/benchmark phase yet.
- bufferoverflow 7y agoThe Beijing–Shanghai HSR train averages 300 km/h over an almost 5-hour ride, two years ago they upgraded it to peak at 350 km/h.
- dis-sys 7y agoThe Beijing-Shanghai line was designed to operate at 350km/h with the plan to upgrade to 380km/h, it was downgraded to 300km/h after the 2011 Wenzhou accident in which 40 people killed.
- maattdd 7y agoThe French record was with a modified test unit but on a regular track (LGV Est), albeit with upgraded voltage.
- fanf2 7y agoThey also adjust the tension of the catenary wires for the test runs so that the train does not catch up with the wave it induces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV_world_speed_record#Catenary_modifications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV_world_speed_record#Catenar...
- marmaduke 7y agoBut when you see how engineering works, isn’t it reassuring to ride something designed for a maximum of 600 at a speed of 320? My car could probably hit 160+ but I don’t drive it over 130.
- the8472 7y agoThis is fairly normal for all kinds of high speed trains. Or vehicles in general. Or technology in general. Most things are not operated at the edges of their performance envelope.