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Just days after setting a world speed record of 581 km/h, a Japan Railways Group maglev train set a new speed record of 603 km/h (375 mph):
In terms of actual travel, it will be some time before the actual speeds achieved this week translate into real train journeys. The first commercial maglev trains will run between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027, and will likely run at 500KPH [sic], taking 40 minutes to connect the two cities.
Until then Japanese passengers will have to make do with the existing 320KPH bullet trains that take twice as long.
Those Stateside may also have reason to celebrate: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is due to push the train technology in Washington DC later this month, proposing a high-speed link between America's capital and New York City.Were that to happen it would reduce current travel time from about four hours to under an hour.
Some question the necessity of newer, faster trains:
One argument against Japan's plan to install new high-speed routes is the country's declining population. Bloomberg reported that the nation's population may fall to 117 million by 2027, down 10 million from the current population. By 2060, the population could be as few as 80 million according to current projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. The country simply does not have the demand, said Edwin Merner, president of Atlantis Investment Research Corp. in Tokyo.
"[High-speed transportation is] good for growing, developing countries, but not for Japan that's decreasing in population," Mr. Merner told Bloomberg. "It's mis-allocation of resources. Demand for bullet trains will be limited."
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Sunday April 26 2015, @04:55PM
I flew back from Sydney last week, I had a nice quiet suite for the first leg, brief glass of champagne before take off, snoozed a couple of times, played some cities: skyline, and the 8 hours were over pretty quick. Then had a window/aisle bed for the overnight leg, then a window seat with more legroom than my car for the final hop over the North sea.
Tomorrows 90 minute flight to Berlin will be
Taxi 0600
Airpott 0610
Secirity cleared 0615
At gate 0620
Boarding 0625
I'll then read my book with just as much room as I have on the train to London, except this is quicker, cheaper, and easier.
I've then got a week off and a week in the UK before a flying dormitory back to Singapore. Pre flight dinner and drink, slag get up to hate, step on board, coat taken, watch a top gear (still got a backlog), then out to sleep for a few hours.
I don't recognise this "sardine" environment. This year, Secirity takes 5 minutes, at MAN, HEL, SIN, SYD, FRA, TXL. Even LAX was only 10 minutes, PHL was 2. RIO was poor, I'll give you that. Perhaps the key is to avoid the Western Hemisphere? I've waited 5 minutes at SEA before, but that was the Sunday afternoon after thanksgiving.