Japan just crushed the high speed rail record with a 366 MPH maglev train

By Drew Prindle April 17, 2015

japan breaks train record 366 mph high speed rail

For the past twelve years, Central Japan Railway Company has held the record for fastest maglev train in the world. Back in 2003, the company’s MLX01 train set the bar at 581 kph (361 mph), and for over a decade that record has remained unbeaten. Until now.

This week, the company broke its own record once again. Running on a test track in central Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture, the company’s prototype L0 Series train clocked in at a speed of 590 kph (366 mph). It’s uncertain how long this new record will stand, however. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a CJRC spokesman said that another test run is scheduled for next week, and engineers speculate that the train could reach speeds of up to 600 kph (373 mph).

Recommended Videos

Related: Tesla’s Elon Musk wants student ‘pod racers’ for his hyperloop test track

These are just preliminary tests though. The Japanese government gave CJRC the green light to start building the train line in October 2014, and it’s not expected to start carrying passengers until 2027. Once it opens for business, the train will only operate at speeds of about 505 kph (313 mph). That’s not quite full throttle, but it’s still pretty damn fast. At those speeds, it’ll be able to ferry passengers from Tokyo to Nagoya (about 220 miles) in about 40 minutes. That’s nuts.

Keep your fingers crossed and we might see trains this fast in the US within the next decade. CJRC is reportedly looking to export its maglev train technology to the States for a line that would connect New York to Washington, DC. The plan is still mostly speculative at this point, but lord knows we need all the help we can get. The US’s high-speed rail system is abysmal compared to that of most other wealthy nations.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…

Outdoors

The best portable power stations

EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Emerging Tech

CES 2023: HD Hyundai’s Avikus is an A.I. for autonomous boat and marine navigation

Demonstration of NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

This content was produced in partnership with HD Hyundai.
Autonomous vehicle navigation technology is certainly nothing new and has been in the works for the better part of a decade at this point. But one of the most common forms we see and hear about is the type used to control steering in road-based vehicles. That's not the only place where technology can make a huge difference. Autonomous driving systems can offer incredible benefits to boats and marine vehicles, too, which is precisely why HD Hyundai has unveiled its Avikus AI technology -- for marine and watercraft vehicles.

More recently, HD Hyundai participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, to demo its NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system for recreational boats. The name mashes together the words "neuron" and "boat" and is quite fitting since the Avikus' A.I. navigation tech is a core component of the solution, it will handle self-recognition, real-time decisions, and controls when on the water. Of course, there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation solution, which we'll dive into below -- HD Hyundai will also be introducing more about the tech at CES 2023.

Computing

This AI cloned my voice using just three minutes of audio

acapela group voice cloning ad

There's a scene in Mission Impossible 3 that you might recall. In it, our hero Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) tackles the movie's villain, holds him at gunpoint, and forces him to read a bizarre series of sentences aloud.

"The pleasure of Busby's company is what I most enjoy," he reluctantly reads. "He put a tack on Miss Yancy's chair, and she called him a horrible boy. At the end of the month, he was flinging two kittens across the width of the room ..."