Power would be provided by overhead wiring or, as shown here, on-board diesel generators. Called Inductrack, it is the first levitated train to use passive permanent magnets. That's right, permanent magnets. And I'm walking at twice that speed right now. It is a speed that promises to change railroading as dramatically as the switch from steam locomotives to diesel engines.
Maglevs are, of course, old news.
The problem is not the engineering, but the underlying approach to levitation. Up to now, maglevs have fallen into two general categories, says Smith. One type uses superconducting magnets that lift the vehicle to within a fraction of an inch of a rail guide. Keeping the train airborne and in motion requires accurate feedback circuits and very high tolerances. Post explains that this design tends to be somewhat unstable.