A nearly 2,550-pound, experimental maglev train car in China recently has beat its own short-distance acceleration world record for the third time in six months.
Maglev trains are, unfortunately, nowhere to be found in the United States. They have remained a major form of transportation for decades across China, Japan, and parts of Europe. The rides safely ferry passengers at upwards of 200 mph with a specialized system of magnetic coils that generate alternating electromagnetic fields. Once engaged, the magnetic currents both levitate and rapidly accelerate the train forward towards its next stop, allowing it to bypass the friction constraints of standard locomotive travel.
The world’s fastest commercial maglev train is the Fuxing rail in China, which reaches a top speed of 217 mph while averaging 197 mph along its 635-mile-long track. However, Donghu Laboratory is experimenting with immensely more power systems. Their first public run of the test vehicle in June 2025 reached about 404 mph in 7.1 seconds, establishing the first world record for short-distance maglev acceleration. That July, engineers boosted the top speed to 433 mph before doing so again to 496 mph in November. These trials confirmed multiple new underlying technological advances including high-power energy delivery, levitation control, positioning, electromagnetic propulsion, and emergency braking.
