The Central Japan Railway Company has announced that it plans to build the fastest train in the world, between Tokyo and Nagoya, to be completed by 2027, a next-generation maglev built at a cost of 64 billion dollars.
“Maglev,” or magnetically levitated trains travel above ground through an electromagnetic pull and powerful magnets elevate the train above the track, cutting down friction. The only maglev train now in commercial operation is in Shanghai.
The company expects speeds up to 310 miles per hour, shaving travel time between the two cities to 40 minutes from about 95 minutes. (Trains currently in use top out at about 167 miles per hour.) An extension of the high-speed line to Osaka is planned by the end of 2045.
