Japan's maglev train sets new world record with 603kph test run (VIDEO)
When it comes to fast trains, Japan takes top honors. A trailblazing maglev - short for ‘magnetic levitation’ - train has set a world speed record during a test run near Mount Fuji, clocking over 600kph (373mph).
The new record comes less than a week after the seven-car train
clocked 590kph, breaking its own 2003 record of 581kph.
The maglev hovers 10cm above the tracks and is propelled by
electrically charged magnets.
The challenge for the Japan Railway Central company is to have a
train in service in 2027 to travel some 286km between Tokyo and
the central city of Nagoya. The service, which would run at a top
cosmic speed of 500kph, is expected to connect the two cities in
40 minutes. It's less than half the present journey time for the
Shinkansen bullet trains.
By 2045, maglev trains are expected to link Tokyo and Osaka in
just one hour and seven minutes, slashing the journey time in
half, the Japan Times reported.
Historic announcement from Central JR today: maglev train on test run exceeds 600 kph for 11 seconds. #Japanpic.twitter.com/0uyuszMSZL
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 21, 2015
Meanwhile, construction costs for the dedicated lines have been
estimated at up to $100 billion for just the stretch to Nagoya,
with over 80 percent of the route set to go through pricey
tunnels.
Japan wants to sell its Shinkansen bullet and magnetic train
systems overseas to revive the country's economy, partly through
infrastructure exports. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to
push the technology for a high-speed rail link between New York
and Washington during his upcoming visit to America this weekend.