There's a point in a YouTube video posted by OlisBigPicture when Shanghai Maglev trains pass one another as they travel in opposite directions.
"Whaa. OK, that was fast," Oli said in the clip posted on his channel.
The reaction might be an understatement, as his trip maxed out at 186 miles per hour — though the maglev, billed as the "world's fastest public train" by CNN, can go much faster.
The news agency reports that it can hit 260 miles per hour, connecting the city's airport to downtown. It can amazingly make the 18.6-mile trip in under eight minutes, avoiding traffic lights and other distractions, per the report.
Maglevs, or magnetic levitation trains, work by leveraging strong electromagnets that use the power of opposite and like poles to suspend and propel the vehicle on the track, according to the U.S. Energy Department.
They carry revolutionary potential for our transportation system. The University of Southern California's Illumin Magazine reported that maglevs are less noisy, less costly, and use less energy than traditional trains. Importantly, they release no planet-warming fumes when operating.
The tech is being developed around the world. In China, a new maglev was successfully tested at an astounding 621 miles per hour. That could theoretically carry passengers from the United States' East Coast to the West Coast in about four hours with a hypothetical and reasonably straight line.
Data collector Statista lists a maglev in Japan, and another one from China, as the fastest. They have been clocked at just under 375 and nearly 373 miles per hour, respectively. However, neither train is operating for the public yet as tracks are being expanded and the technology is being refined, per the report.
YouTuber Tom Scott said he was left speechless when he tested that one last year.
It seems that speed records among maglev developers could change hands quickly as the technology improves.
Oli's video shows a travel cabin that is typical to most forms of public transportation, with rows of seats on each side of an aisle. The value is the efficient, quick travel time — noted by the overhead speedometer highlighted in the clip.
It may be a while before a maglev is available for commutes in your town. But you can still access quality public transportation — even electric buses — that can save you cash on gas, while reducing the creation of heat-trapping air pollution that's linked by medical experts to a growing list of health problems.
In the meantime, a maglev-abundant future is sure to be fast-approaching, according to the tech's champions.
"Maglev is always an experience!" a viewer commented on Oli's post. "Amazing to be able to use such a technology casually."
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