For the development of superconducting levitated trains in Japan, high speed, low public nuisance, and easy maintenance are required in addition to the advantages of the conventional railway.
Basic experiments by rotational test device and running test on the 220 m and 480 m length test track have been conducted. Now, a 7 km test track is to be built to check the feasibility of superconducting levitation and linear synchronous motor propulsion up to 50 km h I. Tests on this track are scheduled to commence in the spring of 1977.
Development of superconducting levitated trains in Japan Y. Kyotani
Changes in methods of transport have always been closely allied to changes in society. Present transport systems are indispensible to the communities they serve but are now becoming overburdened with problems such as pollution, manpower, time, space, and resources.
As a possible solution to some of these problems a research and development project is being carried out in Japan on a superconducting levitated train powered by a linear motor. The background leading to the decision to develop this train, the criteria on which the project was based, progress to date, and future prospects are described in this article. Maglev programmes are being studied in many universities, research institutes, and private industrial concerns in Japan, but this paper deals specifically with the work of the Japanese National Railways (JNR)
The decision to develop Maglev
About 1962 JNR began investigations into the railway system to succeed Shinkansen. ,L~ its inauguration in 1964 the Tokaido Shinkansen was acclaimed as an extrmely convenient form of travel and this led a renew surge of interest in rail travel.
In 1968 a project team started to explore the possibility of speeding up the narrow gauge lines, increasing the speed of Shinkansen, and developing some new form of ultra-high speed train. The next year the team was split into separate units each devoted to one of these three projects.
At about the same time a survey of the part played by the railway in the whole transport system revealed that the railway, as a guided means of transport, can safely run at high speed; and since it is easy to couple together many cars, comfortable mass transport at relatively low cost is possible. So a high speed rail systems seems eminently suitable for inter-city passenger transport, medium and long distance freight carriage, and suburban commuter services.