The Word's Fastest Train: The SCMaglev

In just a few short years, Japan’s Superconducting Maglev (SCMaglev) will become the world’s fastest train in operation. Traveling at near aircraft-like speeds of 503km per hour, the SCMaglev will eventually link Japan’s population centers of Tokyo and Osaka in just 67 Minutes.

The SCMaglev will operate on the Chuo Shinkansen, a new 438km intercity route connecting Tokyo to Osaka. The line will run right through a mountain range, requiring the vast majority of the route to run in tunnels. However, the Chuo Shinkansen will be more direct than the current Shinkansen high-speed rail route. The first section is expected to open in 2027 with the remaining connection to Osaka completed a decade later in 2037

The SCMaglev will be the world’s first superconducting maglev to enter service. To levitate trains off their guideway, electromagnets are cooled to extreme temperatures in order to take advantage of a phenomenon called superconductivity. The electromagnets on board the train interact with two sets of coils embedded inside a guideway, one to propel the train and the other levitation and guidance. The low electrical resistance in superconducting magnets allows SCMaglevs to consume 30% less energy than other high-speed maglev trains, like Germany’s Transrapid.

The technology behind SCMaglev is nearly 60 years in the making. But the Chuo Shinkansen is also one of the most expensive transport projects in history and an enormous bet on high-speed maglev, a technology that has yet to prove itself. Given the enormous costs and move away from proven high-speed rail technologies, some question whether building the world's fastest train really makes sense.

Further Reading:

Thanks for watching!

[EForrest]

weird to see Mustard focusing on a current/future project, rather than a historic failure or curio

[wichersham]

I am a Japanese. I am all for this project no matter how expensive it may seem (for you, not for us). Even only 500km, this project connects 3 biggest population centers of this country. This new train will revolutionize how we work and travel between cities.

[thefrenchcommander]

As a wise man once said, “SPEED AND POWER!!”

[sbeve]

Side note: This train project is entirely funded by JR Central, who is one of the most profitable railyway company in Japan and in the world. They are capable of fully financing this project, therefore despite the enormous cost, since this is technically JR's private project, the government did not axe it.

[TheMrawesomest]

Japan has a unique geography when it comes to its population centers. This train project may become the lifeblood of a one mega city in the future of Japan.

[krabat]

It looks exactly like with their first bulletrain project. The whole world was laughing while they built it.

[streetcat]

The Shinkansen is proud of not only the technology but also the fact that it has never had an accident in the past 58 years.

[thabanentshangase]

1:05 When the Japanese first built their trains, everyone thought they were stupid for focusing on a dying mode of transportation. Now look at em. Do go for it again Japan. Build the world's fastest train again.

[immersion]

Tokyo to Osaka in one hour would be a game changer. You could literally live in Osaka while keeping a job in Tokyo. That’s like living in Cincinnati but commuting to Chicago for work.

[PERSACC]

Mustard is kinda like that one uncle who rarely shows up to any gatherings unless not expected, but when he does, he always has an amazing story and is the centre of everyone’s attention.

[MrBrander]

5:43 And that's the key sentence there. "Even faster than flying." With Maglev line Japan can reduce the amount of their polluting and noisy airplanes. Maglev will pollute only as much as the power plant the maglev requires to run. And if the Maglev uses only, for example, nuclear power, it produces zero CO2 emissions. At the same time airplanes are chugging through fuel amounts measured in METRIC TONS. That's a colossal difference in produced CO2 emissions: zero vs metric tonnes. And still people get to move around aaand faster than with plane.

[SkyWKing]

"It is going to cost 5.5x as much as the original shinkansen." Well that's still way cheaper than the California HSR for a much higher quality transit system.

[zongrenli]

Me in Germany: "Takes 6 Hours to move 230km using the trainnetwork"
The Japanese: 400km in 2 Hours is the worst i can give you.

[insaneomcleano]

As a daily commuter I can tell you that even a 5min improvement in traveling each way is a massive improvement meaning almost an hour a week longer at home with family.

[bluesteel]

It takes me over 1 and 1/2 hours to travel 17 km to school. Seeing this makes wanna live in Japan.

[Sojoez]

“Everyone knew it was impossible, until a fool who didn’t know came along and did it.”

Progress isn't made by clinging to the old and tinkering on it. It's made by continuously experimenting and trying new things.

[idknils]

A wise man once said : "It's always worth waiting for a Mustard video"

[louismenke]

Another thing that prevented the Transrapid from continuing production in Germany was a big crash close to my home turf in Lathen where a Transrapid line crashed into a maintenance car at 162 km/h. 23 people, including my uncle, died in that crash and it halted the innovation in Germany, which is sad because all my uncle would've wanted to see is the Transrapid finishing development. Nowadays the only remaining pieces are the 32km of test track running through our Crops.

[nicoferrari]

Being able to travel between the 3 mayor cities of your country in 67 minutes of travel is mind boggling. Where I live sometimes it takes me an hour to travel 35 km due to traffic.

[danielchou]

the last time I clicked on a video this fast, the Shinkansen hadn't even arrived at its first station.