Tech Maglev test ride at 500 kph

[thomas]

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) provided a trial run for media representatives at its test facility in Yamanashi . The ride on the 42.8-kilometre test track involved a five-car setup comprising the L0 series train that has been used since 2013 for test operations and the front car unveiled in 2020 with an aerodynamic, uneven shape to reduce air resistance.

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The maglev interior is slightly smaller than the bullet trains now in operation. There are also only four seats in a row, compared to the five in Shinkansen trains. The window size is between that on aeroplanes and the current bullet trains. Passengers are guaranteed a smoother, quieter ride. A cup filled with water demonstrated the extent of shaking when the maglev train ran at a very high speed. Before magnetic levitation occurs, the train runs on wheels, giving off a unique sound. An interior monitor display showed the speed and magnetic levitation when the train hit 150 kph. That led to a quieter and smoother ride. The water in the cup began making slight ripples when the speed reached 300 kph. The shaking increased again when the speed was reduced and the wheels connected to the track again.

Maglev test ride offers a glimmer of train travel at 500 kph | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

The linear central Shinkansen may be behind with the opening of business by interference of the Governor of Shizuoka.