Some of us might immediately answer "Japan!" without hesitation when asked which country has the fastest trains in the world. However, the fact is that the Shinkansen or Japanese bullet train only ranks as the 5th fastest train in the world.
So, which country holds the title?
Curious, Ladies? Let's discuss!
Shanghai Maglev
Imagine this: You're sitting comfortably inside a train that starts moving slowly, and in the blink of an eye, you feel the sensation of floating in the air at super speed.
That's what you'll experience when riding the Shanghai Maglev! But how does it float?
Well, Maglev stands for Magnetic Levitation, meaning this train uses magnetic force to travel above rails, eliminating the friction that traditional trains encounter. Pretty advanced, right?
It's so fast that the Shanghai Maglev isn't just a mode of transportation; it's also a symbol of human achievement in surpassing speed limits. How so? The Shanghai Maglev can reach speeds of over 400 kilometers per hour!
Operating since December 31, 2002, the Shanghai Maglev only takes 8 minutes to cover a distance of 30 km from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Longyang Road Station in downtown Shanghai.
Despite its name, Shanghai, this train doesn't solely use domestic Chinese technology. The railway line actually utilizes technology from Germany, the country that first developed magnetic levitation for transportation.
No wonder during the inauguration of the Shanghai Maglev, the Chinese government invited the German Chancellor at the time, Gerhard Schröder.
You might be wondering, with such speed, is this train safe?
Maglev accidents involving other forms of transportation actually occurred in Germany, not in China. However, this incident prompted the Chinese government to continuously develop strict safety technologies, ultimately making the Shanghai Maglev recognized as one of the safest modes of transportation in the world.
To this day, there have been no recorded accidents involving the Shanghai Maglev in China.
Hopefully, someday Indonesia will also have transportation as fast and safe as the Shanghai Maglev, Ladies!
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