Beijing to conduct trials for 'levitating trains'

The end of 2017 will witness the much anticipated trial launch of Beijing's first ever 'magnetic levitation train line'.

Technical experts have already started complex testing of the first subway line for maglev trains in Beijing, reports Sputnik.

Maglev is a transport method based on magnetic levitation, which enables vehicles to move without making contact with the ground.

The first Beijing maglev train line called S1 will connect the Shijingshan and Mentougou districts, which are located in the western part of the Chinese capital and the line will be 10 km long and will have eight stations.

On the completion of construction, the journey time between the final stations of the line will be approximately 20 minutes, which is three times faster than the current travel time by bus.

The new line uses advanced systems to keep an air gap between the train and the rail. The main principle of the maglev system is the creation of a powerful magnetic field between the train and the railway track with the help of high-temperature superconductors.