Japanese train hits 347 mph mark

A Japanese magnetically levitated train broke its own world speed record today when engineers sent it hurtling 347 mph down a test track west of Tokyo.

The five-carriage MLX01, which clocked the previous fastest maglev speed 343 mph in April 1999, raced to its new record with no one on board.

Engineers at the 11.4 mile long test track near Kofu, 68 miles from Tokyo, controlled the train remotely, said Mika Kamijo, a spokeswoman for Central Japan Railway Company.

Thirteen people were on board when the maglev set its last speed record, Kamijo said.

Maglev trains differ from conventional trains in that magnets lift them slightly off the ground, eliminating speed-reducing friction with the tracks.

The MLX01 is part of a government-financed project to develop faster trains for a country that is already home to some of the world’s speediest.

Japan’s Shinkansen “bullet trains” run up to 186 mph, and have reached speeds of 275 mph in test runs conducted in 1996.

Germany has developed a maglev train, which made its commercial debut in Shanghai, China, last year. The US is planning to build its first commercial maglev at a yet-to-be selected location.