Japan's floating trains to hit 500km/h

Japan's floating trains of the future, designed to travel at nearly 500km/h, have undergone their first tests on the tracks.

The new-generation L0 series of trains, which use the latest magnetic levitation (maglev) technology instead of wheels, will begin commercial service in 2027.

The first five cars of the new train, which has a distinct aerodynamic nose, were displayed on a test track in Yamanashi prefecture.

The carriages, which are supported by magnetism, were pulled along the track by a maintenance vehicle in the preliminary trials. More advanced testing is expected to begin in September.

The new train, designed by Central Japan Railway, will first link central Tokyo with Nagoya, cutting current bullet-train journey times by more than half, from 90minutes to 40.

The train will have 16 carriages carrying up to 1000 passengers at a time.

There are plans to extend the line to Osaka by 2045 and ultimately to create a high-speed mass transit maglev network across the entire country.

It was in 1964 that Japan was propelled to the forefront of transport technology when it unveiled its first bullet train, known as the shinkansen, to coincide with its hosting of the Olympic Games.

Since then Japan has developed the world's most sophisticated rail network.

Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, is pushing for a surge in sales of Japanese road, railway and power station technology to emerging nations such as India, which is expected to use Japan's bullet train technology for its new Mumbai to Ahmedabad line.

Today, close to 60 years since the first bullet train was launched, Japan is investing heavily in maglev technology in order to remain at the forefront of railway engineering.

Competition with China is strong - the Shanghai maglev train is capable of a top speed of 428km/h, though its average speed is far less because of lack of a track long enough for it to get up to speed.