China’s newest suspended maglev train can travel 32-feet above the ground

Now, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday that the nation had debuted the world’s first suspended maglev line built with permanent magnets. The new development’s engineers boast that it can keep a “sky train” afloat forever – even without a power supply.

The new train is a 2,600-foot (800-meter) experimental Red Rail located in southern China’s Xingguo county, Jiangxi province. It is equipped with powerful magnets that can induce a repelling force strong enough to lift a train with 88 people on board.

This new model is very different from most existing maglev lines as it operates about 10 meters above the ground and without any physical contact with the rail. This does not stop it from being extremely fast, achieving speeds of 50mph (80km/h).

The new train is also extremely efficient. Due to its unique free-floating conditions and an absence of friction, it only requires a small amount of electricity to function. It also costs about a tenth of the price that it takes to build a subway.

The magnets used on this impressive train have had rare earth elements added to them to increase their lifespans. As such, they are known as permanent magnets.