On its last go-around in October of 2023, it ran the fairly short track under non-vacuum conditions. This week, CASIC – unironically known for being China's largest maker of strategic and tactical missiles – has just successfully tested the UHS maglev under low-vacuum conditions on that very same track with successful results. According to CGTN, "the test showed that the maximum speed and suspension height of the vehicle were consistent with the preset values."

The test showed that all systems were nominal, and the train's speed and height above the track lined up with the preset values of the test – which were not disclosed. CASIC was able to verify that all large-scale vacuum-related systems were also in working order during the test. All systems, check!

The idea of high-speed vacuum-tube transport has largely petered out in the West, but it's still an intoxicating idea. With little-to-no atmosphere, aerodynamics and wind resistance become almost completely a non-factor. Not to mention friction, drag and heat, as the train effectively floats in the air, touching nothing at all, powered and levitated by magnetic repulsion.

Frictionless maglev trains have of course been around for some time now. Japan's L0 Series Maglev, built in 2012, holds the record for being the fastest train in the world, clocking in at a speedy 374 mph (602 km/h). And China already has the second fastest, built a few years ago in 2021, currently clocked at only 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower than the Japanese train.

The T-Flight has the advantage of being in a low-vacuum tube, where outside atmospheric forces will have little effect on the train's speed or stability, depending on the amount of vacuum. Normal atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi (1 bar), whereas "low-vacuum" could be from 1 psi (0.07 bar) to around 13.7 psi (0.9 bar). We don't have the exact figures used in their test, but an educated guess would say it's closer to the lower end of the scale.