Maglev train sets speed record

TOKYO (Agence France-Presse) — Japan’s superfast Maglev train broke its own world speed record yesterday, reaching 361 mph during manned testing, its operator said.

The new mark, set by a three-car train using magnetic levitation (maglev) technology on an experimental track west of Tokyo, edged up from the previous record of 360 mph set in November, the Railway Technical Research Institute said. It is the third time since November 17 that the train has broken its 1999 record.

“The Maglev train with 12 people on board registered the record speed,” a spokeswoman for the institute said.

The Maglev train, which uses magnetic force to float over its track, has been tested since 1997 at the course in Yamanashi, 60 miles west of Tokyo, but has yet to enter commercial service.

On the Yamanashi track, the Maglev has logged a total of 207,000 miles and carried 63,934 persons.