The L0 Series maglev train reached 603 kilometres per hour during a 2015 test in Japan.
Central Japan Railway Company, commonly called JR Central, developed the L0 Series for the Chūō Shinkansen maglev project. On 21 April 2015, a seven-car test train reached 603 km/h on the Yamanashi Maglev Line, setting a world speed record for rail vehicles.
The L0 Series uses superconducting magnetic-levitation technology. Magnets guide and lift the train, while linear motors propel it along the track. At lower speeds, the train uses wheels; once it reaches sufficient speed, it levitates above the guideway.
The record was achieved during a controlled test rather than normal passenger service. It is therefore different from the maximum speed of an operating timetable train. The Chūō Shinkansen project is intended to connect Tokyo and Nagoya much faster than conventional rail, with a planned extension to Osaka.