Context

• China has unveiled a high-speed maglev train with a designed top speed of 600 kms per hour.
• As per Chinese official, it is stated to be the world’s fastest ground vehicle.

About

• Maglev, also called magnetic levitation train or maglev train, is a floating vehicle for land transportation that is supported by either electromagnetic attraction or repulsion.
• Maglevs incorporate a basic fact about magnetic forces—like magnetic poles repel each other, and opposite magnetic poles attract each other—to lift, propel, and guide a vehicle over a track (or guideway).
• Maglev propulsion and levitation may involve the use of superconducting materials, electromagnets, diamagnets, and rare-earth magnets.
• Because of magnetic levitation technology, the trains are capable of running about 10 cm above the ground. 
• Maglev system has no wheels, axles, transmissions, and overhead wires.
• At present maglev technology has produced trains that can travel in excess of 500 km (310 miles) per hour.

Pros and Cons of Maglev Trains

Pros

• Extremely fast speed upto 500 km/hr.
• Really quiet operation.
• MagLev uses less energy upto 30% than normal trains.
• Due to lack of physical contact between train and track, very efficient for maintenance.
• Moving parts are missing. Hence, wear and tear of parts is minimal, and that reduces the maintenance cost by a significant extent.
• Environment friendly, as they don’t resort to internal combustion engines.
• Weather proof, which means rain, snow, or severe cold don’t really hamper their performance.
• These trains are a lot safe than their conventional counterparts as they are equipped with state-of-the-art safety systems, which can keep things in control even when the train is cruising at a high speed.

Cons

• Expensive tracks compared to the railroad tracks.
• Not compatible with railroad track, and therefore require whole thing to be rebuilt for their entire route.
• High cost incurred on the initial setup.
• Maglev trains are seen as relatively safe. But because of their detached nature, any accidents that could occur on a maglev train could be significantly more severe. The train does not attach to the tracks, so it doesn’t have anything to hold on to should there be a malfunction.

India and Maglev Trains

• BHEL in 2020 entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SwissRapide AG for Maglev Train projects in India.
• This will expand India’s footprint in the urban transportation sector.

https://newsonair.com/2021/07/20/chinas-600-kph-maglev-train-makes-public-debut-2/

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