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The Wide Angle
The Wide Angle
The Wide Angle
9. Transrapid 06
Another German train that broke speed records was the Transrapid 06, a maglev train. Maglev is
short for magnetic levitation. Maglev trains use a series of incredibly powerful magnets to lift
and propel the vehicle. Maglev trains tend to be much more smooth and quiet than wheeled
trains.
The Transrapid 06 began as a planned test vehicle project in 1980, part of a larger operation
called the Magnetbahn Transrapid consortium. In 1983, the consortium commissioned the
Transrapid 06. After some modifications in 1987, the train was ready for a high-speed test run.
On a test in 1988, the Transrapid 06 achieved a top speed of 256.4 mph (412.6 kph) at the
Transrapid Test Facility in Emsland, Germany. While Germany has not implemented the
Transrapid system yet, there are plans to build a track from the Munich airport to the city's
central rail station.
8. Aerotrain
Jean Bertin, the organizer of the Bertin Company in France, came up with the idea for one of the
fastest trains in the world. Instead of running on rails or using magnets, this train used air.
Massive jet engines provided the air necessary to lift and propel the train at blinding speeds. And
construction on this train began way back in 1965!
The Aerotrain Company built a test track 11.2 miles (18 kilometers) long between the French
towns of Ruan and Saran. During one test, the Aerotrain hit a maximum speed of 267.3 mph
(430.2 kph). In 1974, the government of France planned to build a track between Paris and
Cergy. But two months later, the people of France elected a new governmental administration.
The new administration decided to invest instead in maglev technology rather than the air-
powered train.
In 1992, a fire destroyed the record-breaking Aerotrain prototype. The cause of the fire was
unknown, but French authorities suspected it was set intentionally.
7. MLU002N
Just barely edging ahead of the Aerotrain is the MLU002N maglev train from Japan. It's a single-
car train that hit a top speed of 267.8 mph (431 kph) in 1994 in an unmanned test. During
manned tests, the train's speed topped out at 255.4 mph (411 kph). The train traveled along a
26.6-mile (42.8 kilometer) test track between Sakaigawa and Akiyama.
The train uses a combination of magnets, disc brakes and aerodynamic brakes to slow down from
top speed. The aerodynamic brakes act like flaps on the wings of an airplane, increasing drag as
they deploy.
While the MLU002N is a test vehicle and not meant for everyday public transportation, it has
helped Japanese engineers develop the technology needed to push high-speed rail systems into
the 21st century.
6. Shinkansen
The Japan Railways Group has created a network of high-speed rail systems in Japan. You may
have heard of the Shinkansen, or bullet trains. These trains travel at high speed between the
major cities of Japan. Unlike the maglev or Aerotrain, the Shinkansen are conventional trains
that travel on railroad tracks.
In 1996, a test trial of one Shinkansen train reached a top speed of 275 mph (443 kph). The
average travel speed for normal commuters is somewhat lower -- around 186 mph or 300 kph.
Many nations look at Japan's Shinkansen as a model for high-speed railway systems.
A trip on a Shinkansen train from Osaka to Tokyo will take about two and a half hours. If you
were to drive, you'd need to schedule more than seven hours of travel time.
5. Transrapid 07
It seems like 1988 was a big year for high-speed trains. While the ICE V and Transrapid 06
trains broke speed records, a new train debuted to the German public. It was an experimental
train only two cars long called the Transrapid 07. Citizens in Hamburg, Germany, were the first
to set eyes upon the sleek maglev train.
On June 17, 1993, the Transrapid 07 hit a top speed of 279.6 mph (450 kph) under normal
operating conditions at the TVE test track. The successful test convinced the Magnetschnellbahn
Berlin-Hamburg GmbH organization to petition the German government for a national maglev
system. The organization's plan was to create a privately operated transportation infrastructure
that provided rapid transit between major cities in Germany.
Unfortunately, political maneuvers and other setbacks sidetracked the project. The Transrapid
plan transformed several times until March 2008. At that time, German officials canceled the
project due to rising costs. While Transrapid trains would see success in other nations, Germany
never implemented the system.
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.