SCMaglev L0

On 21 April 2015 a Japanese L0 maglev train reached 603 km/h on the Yamanashi test track. It floats above the guideway on magnets, so there are no wheels in contact at speed.

Context

The L0 is a test version of the SCMaglev, the technology that Central Japan Railway (JR Central) plans to use on the Chuo Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Nagoya. It uses superconducting magnets cooled to extremely low temperatures. At low speed the train rolls on rubber tyres, then lifts off the guideway at around 150 km/h.

The speed run was on 21 April 2015 on the Yamanashi test track west of Tokyo. The company reported 603 km/h, which beat its earlier figure of 581 km/h recorded in 2003. The train carried staff aboard, which is why it counts as a manned record.

The record is for a rail vehicle in a test, not for regular service. Commercial trains run slower, and the Shanghai maglev, which uses a different technology, operates at up to about 431 km/h. Opening of the Chuo line has been delayed, so passengers have not yet ridden at these speeds. The train floats roughly 10 centimetres above the guideway, a larger gap than in many other maglev systems, which helps it cope with small ground movements.