China has demonstrated a high-speed maglev train prototype that reaches speeds of up to 620 kilometers an hour.
It is the first of its kind to run on high-temperature superconducting technology - allowing it to float on top of magnetized tracks and eliminate friction.
The prototype was demonstrated in Chengdu in China's Sichuan province this past weekend. University researchers that helped develop the train built a 165-meter test track to demonstrate how the train would look and feel in transit.
Through the use of superconductor levitation, the train can operate in extremely cold temperatures. Superconductivity occurs when metallic compounds are subjected to extremely low temperatures. Instead of liquid helium, the prototype uses liquid nitrogen to super-cool the metals to minus 269 Celsius.
Professor He Chuan from the Southwest Jiaotong University said the train might be operational within three to 10 years.
"Sichuan has rich rare earth resources - which are very beneficial to our construction of permanent magnet tracks and promoting faster development of experiments," He said.
China is home to the world's largest high-speed rail network - with more than 37,000 kilometers of track. The maglev is expected to be the future of the country's railways that will transport passengers at high speeds.
China rolled out its first high-speed maglev train in 2003. That was capable of 431 kilometers an hour. It currently links the eastern part of Shanghai to Shanghai Pudong Airport.
Last year, the country opened a 174-kilometer high-speed railway connecting Beijing with Zhangjiakou city - the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Officials said the railway should cut travel time between the two cities by more than two hours.
China introduced the world's first self-operating bullet train capable of 350 kilometers an hour. Earlier in January it started running a bullet train that can work in minus 40 Celsius.
