This new magnetic levitation train from China is set to revolutionize local transport. It’s cheaper than a subway and doesn’t need electricity to levitate since it uses permanent magnets. Red Rail is the world‘s first maglev train that can permanently levitate train parts within the guide track without power consumption.

Video of the Red Rail maglev train in China

Current maglev trains

There are already magnetic levitation trains, but the breakthrough has so far been denied. Because these tracks are not in direct contact with the rail, the frictional resistance is reduced. This means that higher speeds are possible.

So far, electric magnets have been used, but they themselves consume a lot of electricity. The power consumption compared to conventional trains is therefore almost the same.

A solution seems to have been developed for this in China, which is being tested on an 800 m-long test track.

New technology from Red Rail – permanent magnets

Red Rail uses newly developed permanent magnets that are strong enough to keep the vehicle cabins permanently suspended. This happens without any power consumption.

The vehicle cabins hover on an above-ground route at the height of ten meters. Energy is only needed to set the train in motion.

However, the drive energy of the railway is still quite low. At the moment, it only manages a speed of 80 km/h. Soon it will be 120 km/h. That’s faster than any subway.

Red Rail’s production costs are only around one-tenth the cost of a subway. The vehicle cabins currently offer space for 88 people each. The 800-meter-long test track is soon to become a 7.5 km long one.

Hardly any wear

The wear and tear of this track should be kept within limits. Due to the lack of direct contact, the tracks are not set into vibration. This results in less maintenance and repair work.

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