Vallourec supplied seamless steel pipes to create a high road for the tracks for the Maglev-Cobra magnetic levitation train, being currently tested in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which levitates silently on magnetic tracks, at an average speed of 70 km/hour.
Developed by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, a prototype recently made its first trip, carrying researchers from Brazil and abroad on an experimental 200m line between two technology centres. Vallourec’s Brazilian subsidiary supplied 100 tons of seamless steel tubes to build the high road supporting the rail lines and two stations designed in tubular structures.
The Maglev-Cobra train will continue to be tested and the line may be expanded beyond the two technology centres. Emitting no greenhouse gases and little noise pollution, the system has the potential to become a sustainable transportation option for urban centres.
