Why Maglev and Vactrains Trains Are the Future of Transportation

Maglev trains are futuristic vehicles that use magnets to stay floating above their tracks eliminating one bottleneck for impressive speed: friction. As such, maglev trains are able to reach much faster peak speeds than even the fastest trains currently out there.

For instance, Japan’s bullet trains have long held a reputation for high speeds. However, their maglev variants are significantly faster. For instance, the speed record of 275 mph (443 km/h) for the bullet train 300X was absolutely destroyed by the maglev train L0 series’ peak speed of 375 mph (603 km/h). 

Then, there's the new Chinese prototype of a maglev train under construction that could reach top speeds of 385 mph (620 km/h). Are you impressed yet?

Well, these trains can go even faster if we remove drag or wind resistance. These special trains that can achieve that are called vactrains and they are situated inside evacuated tubes, or sealed tunnels with nearly all the air sucked out of them.

The maximum speeds for these trains would be somewhere in the range of 2,500 mph (4,000 km/h), about five times faster than the average cruising speed for a commercial airliner.

But can vactrains actually become a reality? Is it safe for humans to travel at such high speeds? What plans do Elon Musk and Richard Branson have for vactrains? We answer all these questions and more in our video.