The Wide Angle: Top 10 Fastest TrainsBy Jonathan Strickland, HowStuffWorks.com
361 mph The fastest train in the world uses maglev technology.
1. MLX01 We've made it to number one on the list. It should come as no surprise that the fastest train in the world uses maglev technology. It's the MLX01 and it's part of the Maglev Chuo Shinkansen Line project in Japan. The purpose of the project is to determine the parameters in which a maglev train may safely operate. Ideally, the train would have a cruising speed of at least 310.7 mph (500 kph). In 2003, on the 26.6-mile (42.8 kilometer) long Yamanashi track, the MLX01 broke the speed record for trains when it reached 361 mph (581 kph). The test vehicle consisted of three cars and was a manned run. The maglev train may one day replace the Shinkansen bullet trains in Japan. But that will mean a massive investment in a new infrastructure that spans the country. In fact, plans to build a track between Tokyo and central Japan estimate the cost at more than $44 billion. The Japan Railway Co. says that it will complete the project by 2025. For now it sounds like maglev is going nowhere fast. Trains have come a long way since the days of steam engines and coal-fired locomotives. And with a renewed interest in train technology in the United States, we may see a global resurgence in competition among technicians to see who can ride the rails faster than anyone else. |
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