A seven-car Japanese magnetic levitation – ‘maglev’ – train broke its own record attained just last week by reaching a top speed of 600km/h (373 mph). Operated by Central Japan Railway, the train made this extraordinary achievement on a test track in Yamanashi Prefecture, West of Tokyo.
The Japanese maglev, named the Lo Series train, had first attained a world speed record of 580.9 km/h (361 mph) back in 2003. This week, while carrying 49 Central Japan Railway employees, the train managed to cover nearly 1.8 miles in less than 11 seconds. After the success of this experiment, the Central Japan Railway plans to construct a maglev track by 2027 that will link Tokyo with Nagoya in just 40 minutes.
The train uses electrically charged magnets that help it to ‘float’ above the track. In addition, the train’s speed is further increased with the help of magnetic pulses, thereby doing away with axles, wheels or bearings.
Total construction cost of the train stands at $100 billion (£67 billion) for the track between Tokyo and Nagoya, with 80% of the tracks expected to go through costly mountain tunnels.