Thursday 15 June 2023

Japan’s $64BN Gamble on Levitating Bullet Trains Explained


"The B1M" Channel on Youtube has the story. Japan is building the fastest commercial train line in the world - by removing wheels from the equation.

Executive Producer and Narrator - Fred Mills
Producer - Tim Gibson
Video Editing and Graphics - James Durkin

Narrated by Fred Mills. Additional footage and images courtesy of Nozomi 503, 2rue/ CC BY-SA 4.0., Nadate/ CC BY-SA 4.0., Scott Stevenson, Saruno Hirobano/ CC BY-SA 4.0., Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center, Microsoft Corporation / Earthstar Geographics, and SCMaglev / Central Japan Railway Company with special thanks to Nozomi 503

The so-called Maglev (derived from magnetic levitation), is a system of train transportation that uses two sets of electromagnets: one set to repel and push the train up off the track, and another set to move the elevated train ahead, taking advantage of the lack of friction. Such trains rise approximately 10 centimetres (4 in) off the track. There are both high speed, intercity maglev systems (over 400 kilometres per hour or 250 miles per hour), and low speed, urban maglev systems (80-200 kilometres per hour or 50-124 miles per hour) currently being built and under construction and development.

With powerful maglev technology, the train travels along a guideway of electromagnets which control the train's stability and speed. While the propulsion and levitation require no moving parts, the bogies can move in relation to the main body of the vehicle and some technologies require support by retractable wheels at low speeds under 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph). This compares with electric multiple units that may have several dozen parts per bogie. Maglev trains can therefore in some cases be quieter and smoother than conventional trains and have the potential for indeed much higher speeds.

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