I know we were all very excited a second ago about that dope underground rail that Melbourne is getting in a few years, but I’m afraid we’ve been totally, completely and utterly out-done.
The Guardian have released this video of a new prototype train in Japan that levitates. LEVITATES. The maglev (magnetic levitation) hovers around 10cm above the tracks, and is propelled by electrically charged magnets. GODDAMN MAGNETS.
And it clocked 630 km/h in a test the other day. Officials described it as a “comfortable” zip along a test track near Mount Fuji, which carried 49 Central Japan Railway employees. It covered 1.8km in 11 seconds. COMFORTABLY.
By 2027, a Toyko – Nagoya maglev line could be up and running, which would take only 40 minutes. By 2045, maglev trains are expected to cover the 410km between Tokyo and Osaka in one hour and seven minutes.
The infrastructure is obviously crazy expensive, especially since 80% of the potential Tokyo – Nagoya route would be going through mountains. Estimates are at about $100 billion.
Badass giant metal super-fast hovering trains don’t come cheap, people. Worth every damn penny.
