Did you know, India’s fastest train, Bhopal Shatabdi Express, runs at the speed of 150Kmph? Well, far-fetched as it may sound, the Maglev train in Japan running at the top speed of 500Kmph, is a stark contrast to the speeds at which we travel. This is the fastest it could ever get! This Shinkansen train has been running for its trial runs on this 27 mile long track laid from Uenohara to Fuefuki. But, it’s for the first time that it carried 100 passengers on board to leave them enthralled with its unbelievable speed. This track is the first section of the longer route that is still due to be laid. In whole, the track would be laid from Tokyo to Nagoya, and once laid would bring down the travelling time on this route from one hour, twenty minutes to as less as 40 minutes.

The only dampening part of the news is that the Tokyo to Nagoya track will take quite some time to be laid and would be ready for use only by the year 2027. The train is currently being run on the short track as a part of the test run, and the Central Japan Railway Company is going to run the maglev only for eight days. The maglev technology involves magnetically levitating the train above the metal rail which reduces the friction, thus allowing the train to literally glide over the tracks and helping it achieve the super speed. But, this comes at a price; these special maglev tracks take very long time to construct, hence would take another 14 years to complete the route and get functional. The vision might seem distant, though achievable.