Nevomo, a technology company with Polish roots and the developer of the Hyperloop-inspired MagRail technology, unveils an achievement that marks a turning point for the railway industry. Successful tests have proven that rail vehicles can levitate on conventional railway tracks. This world-first achievement has the potential to revolutionise rail transport, seamlessly integrating traditional rail systems with the future vision of ultra-high speed solutions such as the Hyperloop.
MagRail tests have confirmed that rail vehicles can operate frictionlessly on existing rail infrastructure. During trials on a more than 720-metre section of the Nevomo test track in Nowa Sarzyna, Poland, MagRail vehicles reached a speed of 135 km/h, demonstrating stable levitation and magnetic guidance on rail infrastructure. The 6 metre long, 2 tonne vehicle started to levitate at just over 70 km/h and accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 11 seconds. Ultimately, MagRail high-speed passenger trains are expected to travel at speeds of up to 550km/h on railway lines, significantly reducing journey times.
“For the first time in railway history, a rail vehicle moved not on the existing tracks, but over them, without friction. It shows that our MagRail technology is not just a vision for the future; it is a tangible solution for today," says Przemek Ben Paczek, CEO and Co-Founder of Nevomo.
After 3.5 years of research and testing, Nevomo has demonstrated that it is possible to retrofit existing rail infrastructure with linear motors and magnetic levitation devices, combining the reliability of traditional rail systems with the potential of transformative technologies such as Maglev and Hyperloop.
“The successful tests are the result of the knowledge and hard work of dozens of our engineers and experts. And this is just the beginning. We already collaborate with industry giants, including Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, SNCF, Duisport, and GATX to define various applications for MagRail, and these successful tests are paving the way for pre-commercial operational pilots,” says Sebastian Kaluza, Product Development Director at Nevomo.
Nevomo states that they will continue the research and development of MagRail not only for levitation, but also to further explore different applications of the technology to improve the efficiency and capacity of rail transport, and eventually start commercialising the first version of MagRail for freight transport in 2024.
