Japan Proposes 'Super-Maglev' Train Connecting Baltimore to D.C. in 15 Minutes

Image credit: theverge.com

Could high speed trains, long envisioned to connect America's vast expanses and decongest its axes of commute, soon become a reality?

The Japanese government is so keen on its Super-Maglev (magnetic levitation) technology that it has offered to partially fund construction of a train that will reportedly travel from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. in 15 minutes, according to The Telegraph.

The 38-mile journey from Baltimore to D.C. now takes approximately 45 minutes on Amtrak.

Central Japan Railway Company--Japan's biggest high speed rail operator--said in Asahi Shimbun, a local newspaper, that it would pay for half of the estimated $8 billion in construction costs.

Maglev technology uses electromagnetics to propel carriages that float above the ground within a guide way, eliminating friction from wheels and allowing for the aerodynamically-designed vehicles to reach speeds upwards of 310 mph in tests.

The railway was initially discussed by President Obama and Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, in February, with a line spanning the 438 miles between D.C. and Boston also proposed.

Japan hopes to make the line operational in the next decade, with the goal of encouraging other regions in the states to adapt the technology.