Tokyo: A Japanese magnetic levitation (maglev) train is said to have broken its own global speed record, by maintaining a speed limit 603km/h (374mph) in a test run arranged near Mount Fuji.
The train which ran at a speed of 590km/h last week was its previous best.
In Maglev trains, electrically charged magnets are used to lift and move carriages above the rail tracks.
Central Japan Railway (JR Central), which owns the trains, wants to introduce the service between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya by 2027.
For the 280km journey, the Maglev train would take only about 40 minutes which is less than half of the current time.
However, passengers will not have a chance to experience the Maglev’s record-breaking speeds, as the company is decided to operate the train at a maximum speed of 505km/h.
AFP news agency said that the cost of construction was estimated at nearly $100bn (£67bn) just for the stretch to Nagoya, with more than 80% of the route expected to go through costly tunnels.
The government is also hoping to sell the Maglev train technology overseas.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be visiting the US recently where he is expected to pitch for a role in building a new high-speed rail line between New York and Washington.
Video on Maglev train in Japan which created a world speed record
