China’s new maglev transportation system in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province Photo: cnsphoto

China plans to boost its technology assets and R&D with a high-speed maglev system capable of reaching 600 kilometers per hour and high-speed trains in a vacuum tube, according to a five-year plan for railway science and technology innovation unveiled on Thursday by the National Railway Administration (NRA), the national railway regulator.

The development plan that outlines major railway innovation tasks to be fulfilled during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) is the country's first development strategy for ramping up science and technology innovations in railway systems, the NRA announced on its website.

The plan is of vital significance for China's railway technology autonomy and a push to turn the country into a technology and transportation leader, read the notice. 

By 2025, the country's innovation capacity and technology advantages in railway systems will be improved further with more technically advanced equipment and applicable, smart railway technologies. The country will aim for a comprehensive security with green and low-carbon technologies widely applied and the overall improvement in technology to take the global lead, envisioned the five-yearly plan.

Specifically, besides ramping up the development of the high-speed maglev system and vacuum tube trains, the plan envisions passenger trains operating at speeds of 400 kilometers per hour and trains with heavy loads of 30,000 tons, among other major breakthroughs in equipment development over the five years to 2025.

In a sign of China's technology development in railway systems, the country's self-developed and world's fastest maglev transportation system, with a speed of 600 kilometers per hour rolled off the assembly line in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, in July.

Moreover, BeiDou satellite navigation, 5G, artificial intelligence, big data, among other information technologies are expected to be applied in railways on a wider scale, paving the way for the country's smart railway architecture.