Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) has just revealed the first of a new magnetic levitation (maglev) trains that are built to run at speeds 310 km/h (193 mph). The train is planned to be operational by 2027, will be connecting central Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station to Nagoya.
The Series L0 maglev train does away with wheels in order to ensure a quiet and smoother riding experience despite the increase in speeds. The train will, instead, “float” over and be pulled along the tracks using electromagnetic fields. The first car of the train measures about 92 feet long, with 49 feet devoted to an aerodynamic nose. The planned 16-carriage train will be able to accommodate 1,000 passengers. The train will run at a speed that will reduce travel time between the two stations from 90 minutes to 40 minutes. JR Tokai is planning to extend its lines all the way to Osaka by 2045, spending as much as 8.44 trillion yen (approx. $100 billion U.S.).
Japan has always prided itself with its high-speed trains, having pioneered the shinkansen (“bullet train“) system way back in 1964. It is still considered as the best high-speed mass transit system in the world. If the new train series proves to be successful, Japan will be the first to country to implement a maglev system on a large-scale, enough to eclipse the current maglev train currently operating in Shanghai.
[ via Telegraph ]