Maglev

In February of this year, we reported on the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, and its phase one testing of a low-vacuum-tube hyperloop-style maglev ultra-high-speed (UHS) train. In initial 1.24-mile-long tests, the T-Flight hit 387 mph .

Magnetic levitation is used to float things like lamps and trains, but usually it requires a power source. Now, scientists in Japan have developed a way to make a floating platform that requires no external power, out of regular old graphite.

Maglev transport systems present an attractive option for the mobility mix. They're quick and quiet, and are low maintenance. But setup can be costly and complex. IronLev is looking to change that with a passive system that runs on regular rail tracks.

China's biggest missile manufacturer is working on a hyperloop. CASIC claims it's clocked the fastest speed ever for a superconducting maglev vehicle – over 623 km/h – during tests in a low-vacuum tube just 2 km long.

HyperloopTT's latest transport-revolutionizing vision, the fully automated Express Freight system uses hyperloop shipping capsules and conveyor belts to get freight to its destination faster, at a lower cost. Is it the future of freight transport?

A fascinating eVTOL project is about to come out of stealth, showcasing a "breakthrough HyperDrive propulsion technology" that MagLev Aero claims is "dramatically more quiet, efficient, safe, sustainable and emotionally appealing to the mass market."

Your roller doors might be smooth, but they'll never be this smooth. Californian company Hover Doors uses permanent magnets to float heavy sliding doors as if they're mag-lev monorails, for super-quiet, minimal-effort opening and closing.

A new Sky Train test track in Southern China has debuted the world's first maglev transit system built using permanent magnets instead of electromagnets. It's capable of keeping its underslung carriages suspended indefinitely without a power supply.

China has produced the first of a new breed of maglev trains capable of speeds up to 600 km/h, or nearly half the speed of sound. It says these will be the fastest ground transport services available on the planet.

​After years of development, German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp has successfully demonstrated its new cable-free, Willy Wonka-style elevator concept, moving multiple cars vertically and horizontally in a single shaft using a magnet-based drive system similar to that in Maglev trains.

Japanese toy company​ Takara Tomy is offering a working scale replica of the record-breaking 603 km/h (375 mph) SC Maglev (Superconducting Magnetic levitation) Train. The Linear Liner uses an original magnetic propulsion system, and has an intriguing creation story behind it.

Central Japan Railway Company's high-speed maglev train has been busy setting records and then breaking them again in the past week. Most recently, the test train hit a top speed of 603 km/h (375 mph) on Tuesday, on the Yamanashi test track west of Tokyo.