On a train at 502kph.....wow!

Spit · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:46

Check it out...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2926400396387878713

They have all the best stuff in Japan.

Rwac · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:48

That is truly amazing. You'd think they were going 100Kph from the feel of the video.

Oblivious · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:53

Pretty impressive stuff

Makes you sad when you think about the Thameslink into London

Adz · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:53

Why haven't I visited Japan yet!?

Oblivious · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:54

Adz said:
Why haven't I visited Japan yet!?

Because you never stop working

Sirrel Squirrel · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:54

Oblivious said:
Pretty impressive stuff

Makes you sad when you think about the Thameslink into London

or the silverlink lol, wonder how long it'll be til we get maglev trains over here

Andelusion · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:55

That's fantastic, from the outside shots it looks strange because it's going so fast.

steinooo · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:58

why can't we do that?

Raymond Lin · 6 Feb 2006 at 23:59

Imagine the G force on that !

cheets64 · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:07

wow, i have to go to Japan in my lifetime, I also want to see the country where my Grandad spent the worst years of his life.

stewc · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:10

Awesome - that'd cut down the commuting time to work - until there's the wrong type of iron filings on the line....

sja360 · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:14

am i right in thinking that train isnt for public transport?

saitrix · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:17

There is a public transport one in Shanghai that does 430km/h (267mph)

cheets64 · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:17

Looked like a test with potential investors.

Still we wont see that in the UK till 5050

aint the Japs 10 years ahead of us roughly in the tech market.

Killerkebab · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:23

stokefan said:
why can't we do that?

Railway lines are not good enough to take a huge train going at 500km/h.

The French have got their TGV up to 505km/h last I remembered, but the entire TGV network won't stretch that far. They max out at 300 on most of the lines, if I recall correctly.

Japans railway lines are top notch though, so I think they'll have more luck getting 500km/h over a larger portion of their rail network.

NicktheNorse · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:27

Raymond Lin said:
Imagine the G force on that !

They would be not much stronger than a regular train, if it all. The acceleration is quite low - it takes them a while to get up to speed!

Although 500kph isn't that fast. It's about the speed of a 747 whilst extending gears on approach to landing (ca. 270 knots).

NicktheNorse · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:28

Killerkebab said:
Railway lines are not good enough to take a huge train going at 500km/h.

Keep in mind that this is a maglev train - there are no steel wheels and rails as with a convential railway!

ScarySquirrel · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:30

thats pretty impressive

ScarySquirrel · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:32

they need some jumps and loops though

chrisd · 7 Feb 2006 at 00:35

A corkscrew would do nicely.