A test model maglev train runs on a test track in Tsuru, west of Tokyo. It takes just a minute and a half for Japan's maglev train to reach 310 miles per hour. The train gets its name from the way it uses an electromagnetic cushion instead of wheels for levitation and propulsion.  Rail operators in Japan have unveiled a new “levitating” high-speed train that operates using magnets and can reach speeds of up to 310 mph.  The futuristic trains, designed by Japanese rail giant JR Tokai, were introduced on Thursday but aren’t scheduled to start “rolling” until 2027, Japanese media reported.  The Series L0 trains are what are known as maglev trains, short for “magnetic levitation.”  The cars don’t have wheels and instead are propelled by electromagnetic forces.  The hover trains are smoother, quieter and faster than their wheeled predecessors, operators say.  The 92-foot long Series L0 is designed to travel more than 310 mph, cutting a 90 minute ride from Tokyo to Nagoya, some 160 miles to the west, to just 40 minutes.  By contrast, the fastest Amtrak trains travel a pokey 150 mph.  A comparable trip in the U.S. can take nearly two hours aboard a standard Amtrak train.  The 16-car maglev train will be able to carry up to 1,000 passengers.  A similar maglev train is already in operation in Shanghai, China.  JR Tokai is expected to begin testing the new trains along a test rail in Tsuru, west of Tokyo, early next year after an extension of the line is completed early next year, according to reports.  The entire line, which would connect Tokyo to Osaka, was not expected to be complete until 2045.
The ultra-fast 'maglev' trains are propelled by magnetic force and hover above the track. But the first call for 'all aboard' won't be for another 15 years.