China plans super-high-speed train that could reach 800kph

Train line to link megacities of Chengdu and Chongqing

Chongqing looks a little like New York (Cathy Adams)

Plans for a high-speed rail link between two Chinese cities could see bullet trains reaching speeds of 800kph.

That would make the trains the fastest in the world and almost match the cruising speed of commercial planes.

Plans for the rail link between Chengdu and Chongqing in China’s Sichuan province involve maglev (magnetic levitation) technology, which is currently used on the line between Shanghai Pudong airport and the city.

Shanghai’s maglev train is currently the fastest commercial train in the world.

The Chengdu to Chongqing train would run at between 600 to 800kph, halving the journey time between the two cities to just half an hour, according to local media.

Commercial aircraft cruise at speeds of between 880-930kph.

A Chengdu-based university is currently undertaking tests on the high-speed maglev train. There is no indication of when the super-high-speed line might open.

Earlier this year, it was announced that China would launch driverless bullet trains between capital Beijing and the city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province.