Fastest Train In The World

Japan has seen the first successful test of a new high-speed maglev train that should be able to reach speeds as high as 500kmh. It’s to be considered the fastest train in the world


After the successful trials, Central Japan Railway Co. is going ahead with a 5.1 trillion yen ($52 billion) plan to build a 177-mile maglev line between Tokyo and Nagoya. CJR says the trip will take just 40 minutes on the L-Zero.

Maglev trains like the L-Zero rely on magnetic power to float above the ground, allowing the trains to nearly double the speed of the fastest bullet trains. Two other maglev trains are already operating: a train in Shanghai that travels at about 267 mph and a short-distance, low-speed train in Nagoya.

CJR will begin construction in April and is predicted to be finished by 2027, though many doubt it will be finished in time. Bloomberg points out that Tokyo’s skyscrapers and the Japanese Alps present construction obstacles as the track needs to be a straight line to allow for high speeds.