In China, the world’s first magnetically suspended transportation system, the Sky Train, was built using permanent magnets instead of electromagnets. The system can suspend their cars indefinitely without a power source.

The advantages of magnetic suspension mass transit systems are pretty obvious: they are virtually silent, require minimal maintenance and eliminate rolling resistance, so they use less energy to accelerate.

On the other hand, they are not so common on low-speed transport services, as the energy used to levitate a conventional magnetic suspension train adds about 15% to the total electricity bill on commuter roads compared to the subway.

But this only applies if you use an electromagnet. Permanent magnets transmit their magnetic force 24/7, provided you can afford the rare earth metals needed to make them permanent magnets.

China has almost 40% of all known world rare earths reserves. It also mines more of these metals than any other country and definitely dominates the processing and supply chain – just six state-owned Chinese companies produced 85% of the world’s refined rare earths in 2020.

Currently, it is a single test track with a length of 800 meters, built on steel supports that raise the track approximately 10 meters above the ground. Carrying 88 passengers, the two-car train is magnetically suspended under the tracks, making no contact and sliding silently and frictionlessly between elevated passenger platforms at speeds of up to 80 km/h. After the test runs are complete, it will be expanded to a 7.5 km track with a higher top speed of around 120 km/h.

Obviously, because it rises on poles, it requires less infrastructure than a high-speed tram on the ground, and these Sky Trains cost about ten times less than subways, according to the South China Morning Post.