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Japanese Maglev Train Hits 500kph
An anonymous reader writes Japan has now put 100 passengers on a Maglev train doing over 500kph. That's well over twice as fast as the fastest U.S. train can manage, and that only manages 240kph on small sections of its route. The Japanese Shinkansen is now running over 7 times times as fast as the average U.S. express passenger train. 500kph is moving towards the average speed of an airliner. Add the convenience of no boarding issues, and city-centre to city-centre travel, and the case for trains as mass-transport begins to look stronger.
A train ride from Chicago to Atlanta takes 3 days and goes from Chicago to washington DC and then to atlanta to and costs as much as flying directly there in 2 hours.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
The station is actually quite remote. I went there and rode this train at 500kph a couple of years ago (they recently opened a new part of the track, doubling it's length, but you have been able to ride it for years) and it's out in the mountains. You can drive there but by far the best way is to get the train to a near-by town and then take the bus or a taxi to the station.
It's an incredible machine. So smooth and quiet, and faster than you can ever imagine going. Sure, aircraft travel faster, but only when they are 10,000 metres off the ground, so the experience of doing over 500kph with scenery wizzing past at eye level is quite unique.
They intend to start operation at 550 kph but then raise it up to around 900 kph over time. Much of the track is built in very long tunnels under mountains to make the route more direct and to prevent noise pollution. The current trains are limited to 320 kph because of the noise they make when exiting tunnels, even though they are capable of at least 360 kph.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Also, serious info for serious Slashdotters here . . . the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, has a PhD in Physics. Can any other country boast a top political leader who has a STEM leader . . . ?
Not the leader of our government, but my local MP in the England is one of the very few current ones who has a science-related PhD.
Other MPs have openly mocked him in Parliament at various times for doing things like talking intelligently, raising valid concerns about something, or making arguments based on dumb stuff like facts and evidence.
Whether or not anyone agrees with this MP's political views, it's a pretty poor reflection on the calibre of colleagues he has to "debate" with.
She has a tough job . . . a scientist turned politician! But that is the message here . . . it is not about technology, but politics.
Sad, but apparently true.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.