Japanese Train Hits A Record 341 Mph

An unmanned Japanese train broke its own world speed record Wednesday, clocking 341 mph, the train’s developer said.

The train - a three-car superconducting magnetically levitated linear motor vehicle, or MLX01 - set the record on a test run in near the city of Kofu, 70 miles west of Tokyo, said Nobuhisa Nakura, a spokesman for Central Japan Railway Co.

Earlier this month, the train set world speed records of 329 mph in both manned and unmanned runs.

Maglev trains differ from conventional trains in that magnets lift them slightly off the ground, eliminating friction with the tracks. Maglev technology is also being developed in Germany.

The next stage of testing will involve increasing the number of cars.

In breaking the manned speed record earlier this month, the Japanese maglev also bested the record for a manned non-maglev train of 319 mph, set in 1990 by France’s Train a Grande Vitesse, or TGV.

Japan is home to some of the world’s fastest passenger trains. The shinkansen “bullet trains” run up to 186 mph and have reached maximum speeds of 275 mph in test runs.

The MLX01, developed at a cost of about $42.3 million, is a prototype and is not expected to be used for commercial passenger traffic until sometime next century.