The Maglev between Tokyo and Osaka
Maglev
©Par Yosemite — Photo by Yosemite, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=432622
Also called the Linear Chuo Shinkansen
The maglev train between Tokyo and Osaka will be the fastest train in the world with a speed approximately twice that of current Shinkansen at 500 km/h
The fastest Train
The magnetic levitation train
The magnetic levitation is a physical phenomenon that is generated by two electromagnets. The interaction between the magnets creates a magnetic force that compensates the gravity and allows levitation.
How does the magnetic levitation on a train?
The magnets are placed on the train and along the chosen path. The action of the magnets will push the train up and ensure the existence of a gap between the "rail" and train. The train is off the track. Not touching the rail, the train avoids any loss of speed due to friction between the rail and the wheels.
Maglev shinkansen
©Par Saruno Hirobano — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30917648
The Project
The first part of the project will connect Shinagawa Station in Tokyo to Nagoya in 2027 and will cover the distance of 286 km in 40 minutes ( instead of 1h32 today with the Tokaido Line and accessible with your Japan Rail Pass). 86 % of the line will be underground. Later on, the line, called "Linear Chuo Shinkansen," will be subsequently extended by 153 kilometers to Osaka. Works conducted by JR Central started in 2014. While the project is yet to be finished, access to Osaka from Tokyo is easily done with the current Shinkansen bullet train infrastructure, but the 2027 installation will be a groundbreaking addition to Japan's long-distance public transit.
Learn more about the Maglev train
If you want to explore this technology during your trip in Japan, you can go to the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center near Otsuki where the is an observatory room to see the line test or to the SC Maglev and Railway Park in Nagoya.
