Greater Bay Area studying potential for maglev line

The high-speed maglev train can fill the service gap between the current high-speed rail and aviation services, and it is of great technological and economic significance to improving the country's high-speed passenger transport network, he added.

China has been making consistent efforts in developing maglev technologies. In 2006, the Shanghai Maglev Train using German technology was put into use on a 30-km stretch between downtown Shanghai and the city's Pudong airport, with the maximum normal operation speed of 430 km per hour.

In May, a Chinese manufacturer CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co unveiled a prototype maglev train with a designed top speed of 600 km/h, which is regarded a major breakthrough and expected to lay a technological basis for an engineering prototype, according to previous media reports. The engineering prototype was reported to likely roll off the production line next year and in 2021 to undergo comprehensive testing and be made ready for commercial manufacturing.

He also noted that the country is also working toward a more intelligent high-speed railway system in terms of transport management, maintenance, comfort and technical upgrades.

"China has become one of the high-speed railway giants in the world, with its railway technology, equipment, construction and operation expertise recognized as advanced or even world-leading in some fields," He said, adding that China will focus on intelligent high-speed railway development in the next step.

By the end of 2018, China had a high-speed railway network covering more than 29,000 kilometers, accounting for more than two-thirds of the total high-speed railway in the world. By 2020, the country's high-speed railways are expected to extend to 30,000 km, covering 80 percent of major cities, according to the China Railway Corporation.