Japanese Passenger Train Breaks Its Own Speed Record at 375 MPH
Fastest passenger train in the world hits 375 mph in test run.
— -- Until the Hyperloop becomes a reality, this may be the next best thing for high-speed travel on the ground.
Japan's maglev train, already the fastest passenger train in the world, broke its own speed record during a test today, clocking in at nearly 375 mph.
The test was conducted on the Maglev Test Line, located west of Tokyo. A previous test conducted last week set the record at 367 mph last week.
While Japan is famous for its high-speed bullet trains that run on steel rails, the maglev is a magnetic levitation train that hovers above the rails. The train carriages are suspended by electrically charged magnets that help move them along the tracks.
Central Japan Railway, which owns the maglev trains, hopes to implement a high-speed link between Tokyo and Osaka that would take passengers just over an hour to complete the 250-mile trip, which currently takes around three hours by bullet train.
The line, which could cost more than $76 billion, is expected to begin serving its first passengers in the late 2020s.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.