21.04.15
Maglev train breaks own speed record
The state-of-the-art maglev train from Central Japan Railway set a world speed record on Tuesday hitting 603km/h (374mph).
The seven-car maglev – magnetic levitation – train, hit a top speed of 603km/h and managed nearly 11 seconds at speeds above 600km/h, breaking its own record of 590km/h set just last week.
The previous record was also owned by the maglev, 581km/h set in 2003.
The maglev hovers 10cm (four inches) above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets. Central Japan Railway wants to introduce the service between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya by 2027.
The 280km journey would take only about 40 minutes, less than half the current time. However its top speed for passengers services will be 505km/h – still 185km/h faster than the current top speed of the Japanese shinkansen at 320km/h.
Construction is estimated to cost nearly £67bn for the proposed route. In the early stages of HS2 a maglev option was considered but ultimately ruled out due to the prohibitive cost of double the current estimate.