ONCE AGAIN, Japan demonstrates its expertise in high-speed train travel by setting a new record speed of 603 km/h (374 mph) with its maglev — short for magnetic levitation — train.

I thought the 320 km/h (200 mph) of the French TGV that takes me from Paris to Brittany in 3 hours was fast, but I guess it’s a bit of a joke compared to this.

The maglev, planned to start operating in 2027, will connect the cities of Tokyo and Nagoya (a distance of 286 km or 177 miles) in 40 minutes, less than half the time it takes today in a shinkansen. That means it will be traveling at 440 km/h.

To put things into perspective, Quartz calculated what magnetic levitation technology could bring to Amtrak, the American railroad service, “assuming a speed of 374 mph and express service (no stops)”:

Washington → Chicago

Distance: 764 miles
Travel time on maglev: 2 hours, 24 minutes

Chicago → San Francisco

Distance: 2,438 miles
Travel time on maglev: 6 hours, 30 minutes

New Orleans → Los Angeles

Distance: 1,995 miles
Travel time on maglev: 5 hours, 20 minutes

New York → Miami

Distance: 1,389 miles
Travel time on maglev: 3 hours, 43 minutes

To top off all the benefits of the maglev train, it does not create direct pollution emissions and is quieter than airplanes, so what are we wating for?

H/T: Quartz

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