Japanese Company Planning Maglev Train Capable of Over 310 mph
Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) has revealed plans to build the world’s fastest train over the next two decades. The next generation magnetically levitating train will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 5.1 trillion yen ($44.7 billion), and is said to have made speeds of 361 mph in trial runs on a test course.
The world’s current fastest train is the maglev mass transit item that operates in Shanghai, and runs at speeds of 310 mph while traveling a distance of 180 miles. By comparison, the world’s fastest conventionally powered train is France’s TGV, which can only muster a snail-like 198 mph. What a drag.
The new JR Central line is slated to run between Tokyo and central Japan, and should be operational by the 2025 financial year.
+ Bornrich: Japan plans $45 billion Maglev Train, the world's fastest
Comments
Jonathan Fung
After watching the Winding Road video on the Shanghai Maglev, I knew I wanted to ride it. So when I was there this past summer, I did. It was bloody FAST. But alas, very empty because only tourists ride it (seeing as to how it goes from a stop in the middle of nowhere to the airport.)
And it feels like 2025 is a veeery long time away.
Steve
Can you imagine how much better than air travel this will be? Jeeze... 361mph. At that speed, you're going to have to be traveling a long way to have the ~100mph advantage that commercial airliners have on these trains make up the difference from delays, weather, etc, etc...
But... That's not pocket change, either.
DrSmile
Biased statistics... the good old conventional non-maglev TGV is just as fast, in fact it keeps on breaking the world record. It just did so in April 07 when it mustered 356mph! Look it up on youtube, it's a crazy video!
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