Japan is continuing its full-scale preparations toward the
commercial operation of a superfast maglev train,
which will be able to fly along at a maximum speed of 550
kilometers (342 miles) per hour while levitated by a magnetic
force induced by superconducting electromagnets. Central Japan
Railway Co. (JR Tokai), the Railway Technical Research
Institute, and others are awaiting the completion of part of a
test line under construction in Yamanashi Prefecture; trial
runs of a prototype three-carriage maglev train are scheduled
to begin on this line from the spring of 1997.
Start of Tests in 1997
The maglev train in question is designed to move while
floating above a concrete guideway by utilizing the repelling
and sucking forces of superconducting electromagnets. The test
line will measure a total of 42.8 kilometers; the first part,
measuring 18.4 kilometers, is under construction and scheduled
for completion in 1996. If it is decided that the maglev system
will be employed on the envisioned Chuo Shinkansen route, a
superfast rail link between Tokyo and Osaka for the twenty-
first century, then this test line is expected to go into
actual service as part of the route.
Prototype Carriages Already Completed
The three prototype carriages, which have been built with
the actual carriages in mind, have a total length of 77.6
meters.The front carriage is shaped like the beak of a water
bird at one end and wedge-shaped at the other; this design
means that air resistance is small, and the train makes little
noise as it cuts through the air. Since the train has fully
automatic driving, there is no driver's seat, only a window
fitted with a television camera to keep an eye on the line
ahead. The carriages have a width of 2.9 meters, which is 50
centimeters narrower than the present Shinkansen (Japan's
"bullet train") carriages, and passenger windows are small,
like those of an airplane. The carriage bodies, which are made
of aluminum alloy, with some duralumin used, are much lighter
than conventional carriages. For example, while the middle
carriages of the "Nozomi," the very latest Shinkansen train,
weigh about 40 tons each, the head carriage of the maglev train
to be tested weighs about 30 tons and the middle carriage about
20 tons. In addition, the prototype maglev carriages have been
reinforced so that they can withstand superfast speeds.
The maglev train does not float while starting up or
slowing down but uses tires in the same way as an airplane.
When the train's speed exceeds about 100 kilometers per hour,
the train rises and then travels at high speed about 10
centimeters above the guideway. It is hoped that the maglev
train will give a much more comfortable ride than conventional
trains that run on rails.
Protecting the Human Body
The design of the carriages also takes into account the need
to minimize the physical impact on passengers of the strong
magnetic field that will be required to levitate a longer train
of several carriages. The superconducting coils, which can be
described as the heart of the train, making it float and move,
have been located in the connecting parts between carriages and
at the front of the head carriage. Moreover, the passageway
through the connecting parts has been enclosed in a sheet of
metal about 2-3 millimeters thick, which forms a powerful
shield against the magnetic force. As a result, the magnetic
force has been kept down to less than 10 gauss at passenger
seats and less than 20 gauss in connecting passageways. This is
higher than the terrestrial magnetic force of about 0.5 gauss
but much smaller than magnetic cards (several hundred gauss)
and magnetic health goods (more than 1,000 gauss). Researchers
say that there is no worry about the maglev train's impact on
the human body. The upcoming tests in 1997 will study the
performance and safety of the maglev train, environmental
countermeasures, and the practicability of its actual
operation, including its economic feasibility.
(The above article, edited by Japan Echo Inc., is based on domestic Japanese news sources. It is offered for reference purposes and does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.)