World’s fastest subway unveiled in Japan
Published: Thu, 2014-11-20 15:50Japan’s recently unveiled maglev train will be the world’s fastest subway. Currently, world’s fastest passenger train is Shanghai’s maglev, which runs from the Shanghai airport Pudong International Airport to central Shanghai at about 431 kmh. China’s competitor Japan, famous for its bullet train Shinkansen, now also adopts maglev technology. The new Japanese train will reaches speeds of up to 500 kmh (about 311 mph).
Passenger tests with the new train will soon be carried out by the operator the Central Japan Railway Company.
By 2027, the train will connect Tokyo with Nagoya, cutting travel time from 90 minutes to 40 minutes. By 2045, it’s scheduled that the train will be extended to Osaka. Ultimately, the plan is to create a nationwide high-speed mass transit maglev network.
Japan’s maglev record speed might later be overtaken by the Chinese “super maglev” train that can run as fast as 3,000 kmh. Chinese engineers are currently working on a super maglev prototype. However, this technology is likely to be used for military or space launch purposes, according to experts.
Source: Quartz