Japanese maglev train sets another world speed record

BBC : In a recent test, Japan’s magnetic levitation, or maglev, train attained a record speed of 603 km/h. The test lasted 10.8 seconds, during which the train traveled 1.8 km along an experimental track. It broke its own record from last week of 590 km/h. Maglev trains use electromagnets to provide both levitation above and propulsion along a special guideway. Japan plans for the trains to begin commercial service in 2027. The first line would connect Tokyo and Nagoya, a distance of about 280 km. The maglev trains will cut the travel time in half of that attained by Japan’s Shinkansen, a high-speed train that has been providing service for the past half century. During a visit to the US later this month, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is expected to promote building a maglev system between New York and Washington, DC.