Japanese maglev train breaks 600 kph record in last of test runs

A Japanese magnetic levitation train has broken its own world speed record, hitting 603km/h over the 590km/h speed set last week.

The test will mark the end of high-speed test runs, says Kyodo News.

The train service will be introduced between Tokyo and Nagoya by 2027, says the Central Japan Railway, but the journey will be at a maximum of 505km/h.

The 280km journey would take about 40 minutes, less than half the current time. The journey will be mostly through tunnels, reports AFP.

Air tunnels remove air resistance, with airtight tunnels expected to allow speeds of 3,000 kph. The cost of construction increases making such trains not economically feasible.

The government is also hoping to sell the maglev train technology overseas.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to bid for a new high-speed rail line between New York and Washington.

Maglev trains use electrically charged magnets to lift and move carriages above the rail tracks in magnetic levitation that does away with friction between the track and the train.

The train hovers a fewer millimetres above the track.

China's Shanghai Maglev Train, at 431kph is currently the world's fastest passenger service.
Bullet trains in France and Germany are capable of speeds of 150-180 mph.