Superconducting train beats world speed record
Japan’s Central Japan Railway Company this week reported breaking the world speed record for a maglev train by reaching a speed of 603 km/h while maintaining a speed above 600 km/h for over 10 seconds in a test run carrying 49 company employees.
The L0 Series superconducting train is ultimately intended to provide passenger service between Tokyo and Osaka on the newly constructed Chūō Shinkansen line, beginning operation in 2027. This new speed record is almost double the top speed of 320 km/h of existing shinkansen bullet trains in Japan.
The superconducting technology used in the Japanese maglev train is unique, with all other maglev trains currently in operation relying on conventional electromagnets. In addition to higher speeds, superconducting systems offer the benefit of improved earthquake resilience due to their large levitation distance of around 10 cm, compared to about 1.5 cm for conventional maglev systems. The company, with the support of Japan’s Prime Minister, aims to extend the technology to the proposed US New York to Washington rail link.