China's fastest train: Progress. What progress?

The picture above is showing the maximum speed the Maglev (magnetic levitation transport or transrapid) had reached on a particular day in June 2007. More than two years ago, in February 2005 the maximum speed was exactly the same, some odd 431 km/h (see the picture below). In a city of records such as Shanghai it is remarkable not to find any progress in this field within two years time.

BTW, the race is still on: In April 2007 the French TGV broke a new record by accellerating up to 575km/h. A Japanese Maglev managed to reach some 581km/h back in 2003.