As renowned as they are for anime and sushi, Japan is a nation enamoured with public transport, with trains holding a particular soft spot. It therefore comes as no surprise that this nation's top engineers have just got the Maglev Train (Magnetic Levitation) to reach speeds estimated at 590 km/h. As such, it surpasses a 12-year old speed record (also Japanese as you might of guessed), which the Central Japan Railway Co. announced yesterday.

The feat was completed with a seven-car train on Japan's experimental test track in the Yamanashi prefecture (district). The train beat the previous record of 581 km/h set in 2003. According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, JR Central spokesperson said this new record will not stand for long, as the company plans to run another test where the 600 km/h barrier is being targeted.

The spokesperson went on to confirm that the Maglev Train was carrying 29 technicians during its world-breaking run, and that the train will not be hitting such speeds when it is officially rolled out countrywide in 2027.   

Check out the video below courtesy of The Daily Conversation, profiling the Maglev Train project in Japan.