(The Associated Press distributed the following article on December 2.)
TOKYO — A magnetically levitated Japanese train raced to a new record Tuesday, topping its own record set just last month.
The experimental maglev set the world’s top speed for a train, clocking 361 mph in a test run in Yamanashi Prefecture (state), west of Tokyo, Central Japan Railway Co., which is carrying out the experiments, said in a statement.
Maglev trains differ from conventional trains in that magnets lift them slightly off the track, eliminating speed-reducing friction and reducing noise.
The maglev is part of a government-financed project to develop faster trains for a country that is already home to some of the world’s speediest. Central Japan Railway Co., part of the former state-run railway, is jointly developing the maglev with Japan’s Railway Technology Research Institute.
Germany has developed a maglev train, and the United States also is planning one.