After eight years, research and development, China recently completed the trial run of a new generation magnetic levitation train in Shanghai. The new maglev train underwent a test run of 120 kilometers per hour, and is expected to enter the market in a year at the soonest.

The successful pilot indicates that China has mastered the core technology of medium-low speed maglev trains.

Compared with traditional rail transportation, the new maglev trains are more cost efficient over their service life and also quieter. In addition, the new maglev trains have greater climb ability and curve pass capability than traditional rail transportation, which may reduce the cost of infrastructure construction.

According to experts, the cost of constructing new maglev lines is higher than the cost to construct urban light railways, but lower than the cost of constructing metro lines. While their carrying capacity is in line with urban light rail.

China's first medium-low speed maglev rail line started operation in May 2016 in Changsha in Central China's Hunan province, which made China one of the first countries to master such technology.

In the next stage China will build more than five medium-low-speed maglev rail lines for commercial use by 2020. More than 10 cities are considering such projects.