Japan Moves Forward With Maglev Train

Tsunami, earthquakes, and nuclear radiation in the past, Japan proceeds to build a magnetic train that defies Newton's laws of physics.

1 minute read

June 24, 2011, 5:00 AM PDT

By Jeff Jamawat


Sarah Laskow of Good Magazine reports that the Central Japan Railway has been authorized and funded to construct a maglev train that connects Tokyo-Nagoya-Osaka.

Maglev technology "channels magnetic force to levitate the train almost four inches above the track and propel it forward at speeds over 300 miles per hour," explains Laskow. In the U.S. context, the commute from NYC to D.C. will take less than an hour.

Having ridden in one of the test trains, Secretary of Transportation LaHood concedes: "I have to say, those trains are fast. Very fast."

The $112 billion project will be completed in 2027.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 in GOOD Magazine

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