A seven car Maglev (magnetic levitation) Train in Central Japan broke its own speed record when tested near Mount Fuji this week. In 2003 the Maglev’s record was 268 mph and last week it reached 366 mph. On Tuesday the Maglev surpassed both previous records and reached 374 mph.
The Maglev train hovers four inches above the tracks and is propelled by electrically-charged magnets. The purpose of the train’s run was to evaluate its safety.
“Both the car and the track is designed for commercial use and I believe both the level of comfort and safety has improved,” Yasukazu Endo, testing facility director, told reporters.
Even though the Maglev peaked at 374 mph, it will only travel around 313 mph with passengers on board. Travel time will decrease by more than half.
The company plans to have a Maglev train running between Tokyo and central Nagoya by 2027.
