THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 21, 2023 at 19:03 JST
A blink and you will miss it test ride on the maglev Chuo Shinkansen Line offers some idea of the potential of traveling at 500 kph.
Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) provided a trial run for media representatives at its test facility in Yamanashi Prefecture.
The ride on the 42.8-kilometer test track involved a five-car setup comprising the L0 series train that has been used since 2013 for test operations as well as the front car unveiled in 2020 with an aerodynamic, uneven shape to reduce air resistance.
The maglev interior is slightly smaller than the bullet trains now in operation. There are also only four seats to a row, compared to the five now in use in Shinkansen trains.
The window size is between that on airplanes and the current bullet trains.
Passengers are guaranteed a smoother, quieter ride. A cup filled with water demonstrated the extent of shaking when the maglev train was running at very high speed.
Before magnetic levitation occurs, the train runs on wheels, giving off a unique sound.
An interior monitor display showed the speed and magnetic levitation occurred when the train hit 150 kph or so. That led to a quieter and smoother ride.
The water in the cup began making slight ripples when the speed reached 300 kph. The shaking increased again when the speed was reduced and wheels again connected to the track.
Only brief glimpses of outside scenery were possible because most of the track on the trial course traverses tunnels.
JR Tokai has set a 2027 planned start for the maglev operations, but meeting the goal will require overcoming construction delays and other problems with local government along the planned route between Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station and Nagoya Station.
(This article was written by Kazuya Miki and Yusuke Masuda.)
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The test train of the maglev Chuo Shinkansen Line used in the trial run for media representatives. (Kazuya Miki)
