Development of what would be the world’s fastest train is in the works in Japan.
Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) is testing the L0 Series, a Japanese Maglev train, Euronews reports.
It says there is the potential for speeds of up to 603 kmh, way ahead of the current record breaker – China’s Shanghai Maglev at 465 kmh.
The record rail speed in Europe is around 354 kmh.
The new service would be on the Tokyo to Nagoya route, currently served by Shinkansen bullet trains.
The L0 Series trains would half the current travel time.
The L0 Series Chuo-Shinkansen line is currently under construction to enable these speeds.
It may also be extended to serve Osaka in the future.
The maglev technology uses magnetic levitation that lifts the train above the tracks, enabling much higher speeds.
It’s a major investment with costs already at nearly €60 billion and is still about eight years away from completion.
