Japan’s Bullet Trains Have Undergone Their First Tests

The Japanese bullet trains due for 2027 debut have undergone their first tests.

The “levitating” series of trains use magnetic levitation instead of wheels to give passengers a smoother and faster ride. Anticipated speeds are currently at 310 mph.

Can you imagine if the Pets on Train Act is passed? They’ll be clinging to the bars of their crates and cat boxes and praying for home!

The first test saw five of the sixteen carriages displayed on a test track in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Its sleek and aerodynamic design is futuristic and, if we’re totally honest, slightly overwhelming.

The design alone without even considering the terrifyingly high speeds make this exceptional rail innovation a real glimpse of the future.

Japan’s innovation and technological brilliance has gained the country recognition as being the world’s most sophisticated rail network system, with bullet trains travelling at speeds of up to 199 mph across miles of tracks.

So, although the Maglev approach to rail travel isn’t anything new – Japan currently has The Shanghai Maglev service that can travel at up to 264 mph – they’re still leading the way in rail travel breakthroughs and innovations.

Their already impressive feat is set to be outdone by their next generation Maglev services, which will go above and beyond to deliver customers the ultimate in bullet train experiences.

With the public unveiling of this magnificent bullet train, Japan is continuing to be at the forefront of rail engineering with nearly 60 years having passed since the first ever bullet train was launched.

Once operationally, the LO bullet train series will carry up to a thousand passengers at a time, not to mention it will cut down current rail times by half, from 90 minutes to 40 minutes.

Despite being displayed this week, the next gen Japanese bullet trains won’t make an official testing debut until September.

Let’s hope that once they are properly tested and used that derailing horror stories are few and far between for this high speed series of train.

Amazement and fear aside, Japan’s first test of their next generation bullet trains have successfully whetted the appetite of millions of people across the globe hungry for this technology now.

[Image via The Independent]