Ultra-speed gricing

Some ultra-speed gricing to report on today. I’m just back, very hot and tired, after making the trip over to Yamanashi Prefecture for my ride on the ‘Linear Express’ MAGLEV train. The line runs under the mountains a few miles south of JR’s Chuo Line so to get there you take the Tokyo – Kofu train and get off at O-tsuki to catch the small private Fuji line for three stops. Then you walk over the hill to the test centre.

Wow! Was I impressed! It’s much more like a plane than a train I guess, a ‘plane’ of coaches that flies a few inches above the ground. The levitation cuts in and out at about 70 mph.


There are two parallel test tracks, the north and south, but only the north was running today – the other is used to trial ‘passing tests’ with a second unit. Out trip comprised four movements, firstly out onto the main line about for 10 km west, then reverse for a run east for about 25 kilometres at around 200 mph. And then the FAST one – back west again accelerating quickly to 500 kph (312 mph). Finally back to the station.

Lovely ride. The acceleration was just amazing and so smooth, but you could really feel the power there.


After my trip I hung around to watch the next one and caught the train at 300 mph on the next run. There’s a great gricer’s vantage point on the adjacent hill and they even helpfully warn you when it’s going to come out of the tunnel in the opposite hillside but it’s a bit like trying to photograph low-flying fighter aircraft. I don’t suppose I’ll ever grice anything faster than that.