Japan Creating 300 MPH Floating Train

[Gahars]

So, Japan. The pacific nation may have its fair share of problems, but it holds a distinct talent when it comes to developing futuristic technology. From mech suits to... well, it's pretty tough to top mech suits.

Well, they've done it again; it looks like The Land of the Rising Sun is about to become the Land of the Rising Train.

The Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) yesterday unveiled a prototype it believes will bring faster train service than ever before to Japan.


The Series Lo prototype is a magnetic levitation (maglev) train, floating above its track and moving forward thanks to powerful magnets, the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun reported.

It will run from Tokyo to Nagoya, and travel as fast as 500 kilometers per hour (about 311 mph).

Business Insider

You read that right - this train will travel at the blisteringly fast speed of 311 mph. That means this particular locomotive could go back to the future more than 3.5 times over.

Japan doesn't train its engineers for nothing.

I have to say, though, that this maglev train is pretty damn impressive. Without friction to slow them down, these things can run faster and quieter than ye olde fashioned trains; bad weather isn't much of a concern either. Plus, they hover above the ground; so, you know, that's pretty neat.

I've railed against the United States' infrastructure before, and it bears repeating now: Damn, America, get your shit together!

Now, this is just a prototype, so it'll be some time before we see the finished product (and by some time, I mean 15 years). That may sound like a lot, but for a super fast hover train, I'd say it's worth it.

Japan, I choo-choo-choose you!

 

[Guild McCommunist]

This train's so rad that it's going off the rails!

 

[finkmac]

Best keep floppy disks away from that thing…

 

[shakirmoledina]

new movie idea: Floating and Unstoppable

 

[AshuraZro]

You know its a good idea when you can potentially kill not only your customers but also a pile of bystanders too. Right on, Japan!

 

[jefffisher]

You know its a good idea when you can potentially kill not only your customers but also a pile of bystanders too. Right on, Japan!

normal trains can do that too the trick is to not stand on the tracks.

 

[Veho]

You know its a good idea when you can potentially kill not only your customers but also a pile of bystanders too. Right on, Japan!

This. We should all just walk. But not too fast.

 

[Qtis]

Oooh, cool! Now we'll see which one will be superior, the Shanghai Maglev from the Airport to Pudong or the Tokyo-Nagoya Maglev. The Shanghai Maglev travels at 268 MPH (431 km/h)

 

[KingVamp]

Don't start to derail this thread with negativity.

Yeah, I actually watched something about this before.

 

[the_randomizer]

This train's so rad that it's going off the rails!

You could say it's going off the rails of the crazy train.

 

[Celice]

A friend and I actually said trains should adopt that quantum locking technology. This doesn't go that far, but pretty close, still.

 

[pyromaniac123]

normal trains can do that too the trick is to not stand on the tracks.

Thanks for this, I've been wondering where I've been going wrong.

 

[Satangel]

Cool stuff, although I knew this was a possibility. It's been known for a very long time, hopefully it's actually in production soon. 15 years, should be possible!

 

[Dimensional]

I hate to say this joke, but this is a fast track to nowhere.

 

[Veho]

I hate to say this joke, but this is a fast track to nowhere.

I don't get it.

 

[Dimensional]

I don't get it.

How big is Japan, in terms of the size of a country?

 

[Veho]

How big is Japan, in terms of the size of a country?

Relatively in the middle there. It's bigger than the United Kingdom, for example.

 

[Qtis]

How big is Japan, in terms of the size of a country?

Took me about 2 hours to get from Nagoya to Tokyo with the fastest bullet train available on that track. It goes at around 300 km/h (190 mph) max. And the places are basically next to each other. In other words, Japan is HUGE. Well not in land mass, but it's long. Very long.

 

[Taleweaver]

A magnetic train? Let's hope this attracts some good press.

 

[the_randomizer]

Took me about 2 hours to get from Nagoya to Tokyo with the fastest bullet train available on that track. It goes at around 300 km/h (190 mph) max. And the places are basically next to each other. In other words, Japan is HUGE. Well not in land mass, but it's long. Very long.

Roughly the length of California. I went from Osaka to Hiroshima is <2 hours; those bullet trains are quick enough. Best part is someone paid my fare.