The arrival of the bullet train in 1964 was celebrated as a sign that Japan had emerged from the devastation of World War II. Since then, Japan has continued to push the frontiers.  

Recently, Japanese engineers have broken the world record for speed with a Maglev train capable of achieving speeds of 603 km/hr (374 mph) in a test run. Compare that to commercial planes that fly at 550-600 mph! 

Japan's Central Railway plans to introduce the Maglev train service between the cities of Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027. It will cover a distance of 280 km in just 40 minutes. 

How Do Maglevs Work?

The trains that we are all familiar with and run on tracks are not the most efficient. Energy is lost due to friction between the wheels and the tracks. The bullet trains (also known as Shinkansen) in Japan are an improvement, where the train tracks are powered by electricity to make the trains go faster.

However, to achieve even higher speeds, countries around the world have been experimenting with a technology known as Magnetic Levitation (Maglev), where the trains literally float 10 cm above the tracks! 

Wondering how Maglevs work? Let's take a look.

We know that "like" poles of a magnet repel each other and "unlike" poles attract - a concept you would have learned in magnetism. By lining the tracks and the bottom of the train with strong magnets that alternately repel and attract each other, the train can be propelled forward while staying on the tracks.

As you can imagine, the magnets have to be very strong. This is done by creating "super" magnets. Electricity is sent through metals with electric coils around them. This creates a strong magnetic field around the metal, making it into an electromagnet or a "super" magnet. 

Pros And Cons

Maglev vehicles and tracks tend to have lower maintenance issues and longer lifetimes as there is no mechanical contact between the trains and the rails. They are more fuel-efficient and do not emit any polluting carbon dioxide because they use electricity to power the system.  

So, how many countries have deployed a Maglev train? Turns out, only one. The Shanghai Maglev in China is the first and only commercial train to carry people, running at a top speed of 430 km/h – 267 mph. The train runs between Shanghai International Airport and the main metro station and covers the distance in 8 minutes.

Magnetic levitation trains were developed in Germany but were never used commercially, after an accident during a test run that killed 26 people in 2006. Even within Japan, there are concerns that events like an earthquake (which are common in the country) could knock the train off its track, and at such high speeds, the impact could be quite devastating.

However, Japan and China are continuing to innovate and perfect the technology, and hope to export it to the rest of the world. It may only be a matter of time before we see trains flying on a cushion of air!

Courtesy BBC, HowStuffWorks, dailytech.com