An experimental magnetic levitation vehicle developed in China accelerated from zero to 800 km/h in just 5.3 seconds on a one-kilometre-long test track. The performance represents a world record for this type of platform, although the technology is not yet intended for commercial passenger transport.
An maglev vehicle experimental weighing approximately 1.11 tonnes reached a speed of 800 km/h in just 5.3 seconds during tests carried out by the Hubei East Lake Laboratory (Donghu Laboratory), a research centre in the Chinese province of Hubei.
The test was carried out on a specially constructed track, 1,000 metres long, using a system based on permanent magnet levitation and electromagnetic propulsion. The vehicle reached its maximum speed at the 0.6-kilometre mark, after which it was brought to a controlled stop at the end of the track. The entire test lasted approximately eight seconds.
The third record in just six months
The 800 km/h feat was achieved on 24 November 2025 and marked the third record set by the same team within a period of approximately six months.
In June 2025, an experimental vehicle weighing around one tonne had been accelerated to 650 km/h, and on 14 July the researchers raised the top speed to 700 km/h.
In November, the 1.11-tonne model reached 800 km/h in 5.3 seconds. The researchers then continued testing for a month, checking the stability of levitation at high speeds, the precision of speed control, and the efficiency and reliability of the system. According to the laboratory, the performance indicators met the design requirements.
Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h was achieved in less than 0.7 seconds.
How the system works
Unlike a conventional train, the vehicle does not run on rails via wheel–rail contact.
The platform uses a magnetic levitation and guidance system, combined with electromagnetic propulsion. The elimination of mechanical contact allows very high speeds to be achieved, but poses complex challenges in terms of stability, control and power supply.
To carry out the tests, Chinese researchers have also developed systems to maintain stability in the face of aerodynamic disturbances caused at very high speeds, to control the linear motors, to accurately detect the vehicle’s position, and to enable rapid communication between the vehicle and the infrastructure.
The precision of the infrastructure is, in turn, extreme. On the one-kilometre track, the deviation from straightness must be maintained at around ±1 mm, and the difference in level between the track fastenings is limited to less than 0.5 mm.
This technology is not yet intended for passenger transport
However, this performance should not be confused with the speed of a future commercial train.
The Donghu platform is first and foremost an experimental facility, used for developing and testing technologies at very high speeds. The acceleration required to reach 800 km/h in just a few seconds is not suitable for regular passenger transport.
The laboratory, however, envisages applications for the technologies developed both for future very-high-speed maglev systems and for electromagnetic test platforms, aerospace launches and other systems requiring vehicles to be accelerated to very high speeds.
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