China’s New Bullet Trains Hit Speeds Faster than Airliners

What Happened?

China’s Donghu Laboratory in Hubei Province recently published results of new bullet train tests showing speeds equal to or in excess of commercial airliners. During those tests a 1.1-ton Maglev train accelerated to four hundred miles per hour in less than seven seconds over a distance of 1,968 feet. The test follows a trial of the same technology conducted in 2024, which achieved speeds of over 620 miles per hour, which is faster than most commercial airliners. 

Li Weichao, who is the Director of the High-speed Maglev Electromagnetic Propulsion Technology Innovation Center at Donghu Laboratory, told China’s state television, ‘Its typical operating speed is 800 kilometers per hour. The entire construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year.’ 

Why it Matters

China has vastly expanded the size and capabilities of its high-speed rail network in the past two decades. In 2000 China had no high-speed trains at all but today the country is home to a sprawling network of 40,000 miles of high-speed rail connecting most of its major cities. Currently China plans to connect all cities with populations larger than 200,000 with high-speed train service by 2035. 

Crypto's "Once Per Cycle" Wealth-Building Moment Is Here

We’ve entered the next phase of the crypto cycle—where smart capital moves early and retail follows late. With fundamentals stronger than ever and institutional adoption accelerating, the window to act is now. While others wait for certainty, the informed few are positioning for outsized gains.

Get my #1 Coin to Buy During the Dip guide—your edge in this cycle, for just $3.

Operating at speeds of over two hundred miles per hour, China’s current high-speed rail network has given the world’s largest population the world’s biggest bullet train network. The next closest country is Spain, boasting roughly 2,000 miles of high-speed rail, which is a fraction of the size of China’s. 

According to Dr. Olivia Cheung, research fellow at the China Institute of the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), ‘The building of these new railways forms part of Xi Jinping’s grand plan of integrating the vast national market.’ With this rail network it is possible to live in one city and commute to a different one for work, or to visit different parts of the country without the hassle of trying to drive on China’s crowded highways.

China’s high-speed rail network is also touted as a symbol of the country’s economic and technological progress by Beijing. It is true that never in human history has so much high-speed rail been built in so little time. Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train built in the 1960s took years to complete, and that was just one rail line. 

The high speeds are made possible by magnetic levitation, which means the train hovers just a few inches above the track but never actually touches it. With zero friction it is possible to move at much higher speeds than trains using conventional tracks. 

How it Affects You

China and the United States are currently engaged in a battle to see who will become the most technologically dominant nation in the world. While Silicon Valley has given the United States the edge in computing technology, China has gained the upper hand when it comes to high-speed multi-modal transportation.