http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/ Engadget Comments for Japan gets official on plans and details for world's fastest maglev http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 1st 2008 1:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
310mph is insane for a train that actually takes passengers (Japan already has a 360+mph maglev in testing, but its not for people to actually ride). That's significantly faster then the top speed of a Bugatti Veyron. And more then twice as fast as Amtrack's Acela Express (fastest in train operational in the US).
]]>Jan 1st 2008 11:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Alot of my Chinese friends are quite angry about it because they say it's a waste of money.
All of the world's fastest, best, largest, are all designed for bragging rights ^__^
However Doha's maglev isn't a short distance either (I don't know if you alot about Qatar) but the airport has to go through two cities (so it wont be a short distance). The maglev will also connect to 12 major stops including the upcoming subway.

On a side note, Doha's New Doha airport will be the largest in Asia and is the world's first airport to be purposely built for the new Jumbos.

]]>Jan 2nd 2008 5:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
Hang on.
This one's supposed to be 310mph and the 'less speedy' one you link to is meant to be... 310mph.

Am I the only one confused here?]]>Jan 1st 2008 2:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
Maybe I'm missing something... ]]>Jan 1st 2008 2:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 1st 2008 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
By Rail, there is already Amtrak. It is slower yes, but it won't require new installation and thus, billions of dollars.

Even if America wanted a Maglev from NYC-DC, you can thank President Bush and his oil executi... I mean...his cabinet for spending every penny America's got and plunging us into debt and declining dollar value. ]]>Jan 1st 2008 3:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
Really? :)]]>Jan 1st 2008 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
I found the website that had information about the project and links to the DOT.
http://www.bwmaglev.com/
An article dated October 2, 2007 says the studies are still alive...
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1007/460227.html]]>Jan 1st 2008 4:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 1st 2008 8:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Besides now that NYC has been relatively cleaned up why in God's name would they want a high speed transport to the most crime ridden city in the US (and thats just the demonrats in congress)?]]>Jan 2nd 2008 8:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
I'm more interested in a maglev train from BeiJing to Shanghai to Hong Kong. That would truly be revolutionary.
Shanghai's Maglev covers almost 25 miles in just 10 minutes.]]>Jan 1st 2008 3:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
Nice, but worth $44.7 billion? A lot of Japanese don't seem to think so, and I don't blame them. I love Japan's way of pushing through public works that we just can never seem to even agree to build in this country, much less actually fund, but they do occasionally go overboard on things that are unnecessary and wasteful.
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 7:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 1st 2008 3:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 1st 2008 3:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 1st 2008 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
"The highest recorded speed of a maglev train is 581 km/h (361 mph), achieved in Japan in 2003, 6 km/h higher than the conventional TGV speed record."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_train
http://www.physorg.com/news117862395.html (read a little down in this article, it sells about the fastest maglev.)

]]>Jan 1st 2008 5:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
That's a distinction a lot of people fail to make when talking about speed records, including Engadget in the actual post. The TGV doesn't hit more than 300mph in regular service; not even close. In fact, its fastest average speed between two stops - and this is the fastest in the world, btw - is around 163mph.

The TGV that hit 320mph was a specially modified train carrying no load and operating on an upgraded stretch of perfectly straight track specifically for that test run. No TGV in service has ever hit speeds close to that.

Japan still has the top average speed along an entire route with the Osaka-Hakata run at around 152mph.
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 7:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
soooo, for the price of the iraq war in 08, we could build 4 of these?]]>Jan 1st 2008 5:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 1st 2008 6:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Even if America wanted a Maglev from NYC-DC, you can thank President Bush and his oil executi... I mean...his cabinet for spending every penny America's got and plunging us into debt and declining dollar value."

ugly fact. if america had the population density of japan we would have over 3 billion people.
density makes public transport viable. most of america isn't dense at all which leads to the problem of what to do after you get off that train. in nyc there are plenty of cabs, and public transport to get around. but in most places in the us once you get off the train you need a car. and that just makes using the train pointless.]]>Jan 1st 2008 6:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
My personal believe is that a good local and national public transport system is fantastic for the economy. This is why Europe is moving very quickly in creating a high speed rail network (London to Paris = 2hr45 mins).

It's a real sad state of affairs when a nation relies solely on the car to get them from A to B. ]]>Jan 1st 2008 6:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
I just hope that International Space Station is worth the expenditure since we're putting the most money into it.

We don't build the tallest buildings anymore and we don't have a single maglev train. We used to be the world's greatest nation, but seem to be slowly losing our prestige.]]>Jan 1st 2008 11:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 2nd 2008 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
I mean... that's a hell of a lot of money, especially considering that it only serves three cities and won't be compatible with the rest of the rail system.]]>Jan 1st 2008 6:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 1st 2008 6:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
So I agree, this is probably a big waste of money.
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 7:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
Does anyone know if the issue of switches/turnouts has been solved? Last I read, there was no way to transfer this sort of vehicle from one 'track' to another.]]>Jan 1st 2008 6:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
Surely the train would have to travel between Osaka and Tokyo to be useful. Getting off half way and catching another train rather defeats the purpose of being fast. Maybe I can do the full trip when I retire in 20 years or so.]]>Jan 1st 2008 9:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
Wow, that's Bush's fault too.
]]>Jan 1st 2008 7:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Once the technology has been proven and the costs understood, we'll probably see MagLev's show up in the US. We were pretty late in putting in a steel rail system compared to Europe for many of the same reasons. Once there's live Maglev systems in place elsewhere demonstrating the viability of the system for intra-city travel versus air travel, that's when they'll really begin to take off locally.]]>Jan 1st 2008 8:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
NYC to DC is intelligent. Even NY to Boston.

You just gotta be sure you will have ridership which supports the railway otherwise you'll end up wasting ALOT OF MONEY like China did building the Shanghai Maglev between Pudong city and Pudong airport.

I saw that sucker in action...it seemed like it was FLYING on those rails - making the entire 20+ mile trip in 7 minutes but, recently, it has been criticised as wasteful and showy since the only people allowed on it are people who have valid air tickets and the destination in Pudong is inconvienient for residents. It would only be good for people going to the Oriental Pearl tower or Jin Mao.

china should have made a Beijing to Shanghai maglev
]]>Jan 1st 2008 10:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV_world_speed_record#Record_of_2007

The article quoted makes it appear the test train might have been traveling where curves and inclines are present: "V150 passenger train screaming through the French countryside, ultimately topping out at a breakneck speed of 574.8 kilometers per hour, or about 357 mph".

From the wikepedia source, here is the exact test area: "This section of the LGV was chosen for its vertical profile and gentle curves, with favorable downhill segments leading to the highest speeds between kilometer posts 195 and 191"

The 574.8 km/hr was a one point speed at post 191, or basically at a selected optional point with a downhill run and straight track.

There appeared to be no test runs with two trains running in opposite directions and what speed is possible. The JR maglev has the record for that and tests have been ongoing with passing tests.

The key feature is that the maglev offers a design where the vehicles are wrapped around the guideway and thus non-derailable where as the French or other high speed steel wheeled train sets can easily be derailed, especially when trying to operate at high speeds planned with the JR maglev line.

Does anyone know the powere supply requirement for the JR-Maglev? The special French tests were using 31kv.


]]>Jan 1st 2008 10:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/Jan 2nd 2008 12:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/japan-gets-official-on-plans-and-details-for-worlds-fastest-mag/
entirely different. people only occasionally use planes. so car rental upon arrival or whatever is justified. getting people to pick you up from the airport is still a chore for most people however.

trains are more a daily transport solution, and as such you need a cheap and good solution for the final leg of the journey.

as for europe, they also have high population density like japan. i wouldn't worry about it, this will happen organically. oil prices will rise, population will rise, people move to the cities. spending on prestige projects is hard to justify when other needs are not being met.
]]>Jan 3rd 2008 12:45AM