These iron monsters may not be able to beat the speed of light but still, no doubt, they’ve nabbed the gullet of the ’speed’, be it magnetic levitation or simple rails. Japan recently rolled out a polished version of its popular bullet train, Fastech 360Z, called the ‘Shinkansen’, which is showcased as the world’s fastest train on wheels.
Engineered by East Japan Railway Co. the new six-car Fastech will glide through the rails at the world’s fastest speed of 360 kilometers (224 miles) per hour. The Fastech aims to surpass France’s TGV’s (Train Grande Vitesse) 300 kph of speed. But TGV still remains the queen for hitting 515 kph (320 mph).
The Fastech too may reach the same speed but most probably will not be tested to do so for safety reasons. It’s a challenge to run these beasts on the tracks laid down in space-limited mountain areas in Japan. The train is equipped with air-resistance panels which spread above the ceiling to halt the train in earthquakes and other emergencies.
Japan is also planning to roll out world’s fastest magnetically levitated train in the near future and in fact it’s under construction at the Central Japan Railway Co. Keeping in mind the 581 kph (361 mph) speed of the test train, JR-Maglev MLX01, in 2003, there’s no doubt Japan will outsmart others on rails.
Via: physorg
