• published: 21 Apr 2015
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Japan's maglev train sets world record: 603 kph - World’s Fastest Train Records Speed of 603 Kilometers Per Hour A record for the world’s fastest train has been set - at 603 kilometers per hour (375 miles per hour). A Central Japan Railway Co. magnetic-levitation train traveled at the record-breaking speed in a test run within Yamanashi prefecture, beating the company’s own record of 590 kmph set last week. JR Central, as the company is also known, held the record since 2003, when its train hurtled at 581 kmph. At the record speed, a London-Paris journey would be over in about 50 minutes, less than a quarter of the current time. The record-breaking run is part of the tests before JR Central can start commercial operations in 2027 on the Tokyo-Nagoya line, which it’s constructing at a cost of 5.52 trillion yen ($47 billion). Japan has been seeking to sell its high-speed train technology to the U.S. and previously had high-profile travelers such as then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and transportation secretary Ray LaHood five years ago. Japan is looking for an overseas customer for maglev technology as the country works toward opening its first major line. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the government may provide financing to support Central Japan Railway Co.’s bid to provide trains for a Washington-Baltimore line. Magnetic-levitation trains, or Maglevs, rely on magnetic power to float the cars above ground, eliminating the friction of steel tracks. The trains start off running on wheels until they’re going fast enough for the magnets to kick in and create lift. Tokyo-Nagoya In August 2013, JR Central started resuming trials for the maglevs that will complement the Shinkansen bullet-train network, which was introduced in 1964 and where trains now go as fast as 320 kmph. The company spent five years building a 24-kilometer extension of a test track to send coaches as fast as 500 kmph, the speed at which commercial operations will take place. At that speed, the maglevs will whisk passengers to Nagoya from Tokyo in as little as 40 minutes for the 286-kilometer journey, from as short as 95 minutes. Worldwide, two maglev lines are already operating. In Shanghai, a train built with technology developed by Siemens AG and ThyssenKrupp AG whisks passengers along at 431 kmph from Pudong International Airport to the outskirts of the city’s financial district. A low-speed version called Linimo, with a top speed of 100 kmph, started operations on an 8.9 km track in Nagoya in 2005. Tokyo (CNN)It's a bird -- It's a plane -- It's an insanely fast Japanese bullet train. A Japan Railway maglev train hit 603 kilometers per hour (374 miles per hour) on an experimental track in Yamanashi Tuesday, setting a decisive new world record. A spokesperson said the train spent 10.8 seconds traveling above 600 kilometers per hour, during which it covered 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles). That's nearly 20 football fields in the time it took you to read the last two sentences. Takeo Ookanda, who runs an exhibition center next to the test track, said witnesses erupted with excitement and applause when the new record was set. "I was moved just like many other visitors here today," he told CNN. "This maglev project... (increases) the hope that Japan can have a good growth again in the future." The train broke its own record from last Thursday, when it ran at 590 kilometers per hour (366 miles per hour) on a test track. That beat the old record of 581 kilometers per hour (361 miles per hour), which was set in 2003 during another Japanese maglev test. Right now, China operates the world's fastest commercial maglev, which has hit 431 kilometers per hour (268 miles per hour) on a route through Shanghai. By contrast, the fastest train in the United States, Amtrak's Acela Express, is only capable of 241 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour), though it usually plods along at half that speed. Look ma, no tracks! Unlike traditional trains, maglev trains work by using magnets to push the train away from the tracks and drive the train forward. Japan's maglevs don't use metal tracks — instead, they float nearly 10 cm (4 inches) above special guideways, allowing for frictionless movement. Japan Railways has been testing their train to figure out the best operational speed for a planned route between Tokyo and Nagoya, scheduled to begin service in 2027. That trip can take nearly 5 hours by car. But in the future, a maglev train could finish the journey in 40 minutes.