L0 Series Maglev

The **L0 Series** (Japanese: 系 Hepburn: *Eru-zero-kei*, "L zero series")[4] is a high-speed maglev train that the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) is developing and testing. JR Central plans to use the L0 series on the Chūō Shinkansen railway line between Tokyo and Osaka, which is under construction.

The L0 series uses the Japanese-designed SCMaglev system. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Sharyo, a subsidiary of JR Central, are building fourteen pre-production vehicles.[5]

A seven-car train set a land speed record for rail vehicles of 603 km/h (375 mph) on 21 April 2015.[6] The trains are planned to run at a maximum speed of 505 km/h (314 mph),[7] offering journey times of 40 minutes between Tokyo (Shinagawa Station) and Nagoya, and 1 hour 7 minutes between Tokyo and Osaka.[8]

## Planned Operations

### Chuo Shinkansen

Construction on the Chuo Shinkansen line on which the train is intended to run began in December 2014. The first section to Nagoya is expected to be completed in 2027. That section will be approximately 85% tunnels with an estimated cost of 5.5 trillion yen (US$46.5B). The relatively high cost is in large part due to the many tunnels.[10][11]

The complete line to Osaka is estimated to cost 9 trillion yen ($74.7 billion), and was expected to be completed by 2045, after an eight year pause in construction to recuperate costs. However, after receiving a 3 trillion yen (US$28B) loan from the Japanese government, JR Central moved the project forward. It now expects to be able to open the full line as early as 2037, with construction beginning immediately after completion of the Tokyo-Nagoya section.[12]

### Northeast Maglev

A route from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, eventually extending all the way to New York City has received political support in the United States. JR Central chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai spoke with U.S. President Barack Obama about the L0 series during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's 28 April 2015 visit.

In August 2017, development partner Mitsubishi announced that talks had "stalled" because of "a lack of clarity on the Trump administration's stance on high-speed rail".[13][14]

In March 2019, Northeast Maglev project director David Henley stated in an interview that they expect to have a Record of Decision for the D.C.-Baltimore section by August 2020, and begin construction later that same year, or in early 2021. According to Henley, this would allow operations to begin in 2027-28, allowing for a construction period of 7 years.[15]

## Specifications

The end cars of L0 series trainsets are 28 metres (92 ft) long and carry 24 passengers. The nose extends 15 metres (49 ft) for better aerodynamics and reduced noise in tunnels.[8] Intermediate cars are 24.3 metres (80 ft) long and carry 68 passengers each. Each row is four seats wide, one less than JR Central shinkansen trains. The cars are more box-shaped than earlier models to allow for more interior space.[9] Cars are painted white and blue. During normal operation, the train is expected to operate at a maximum speed of 505 km/h (314 mph).[7]

The train does not require a driver, but does have a camera at the front of both end cars in order to allow for remote operation, in case the automated systems fail. The camera is more apparent on the revised end cars, planned to be introduced from 2020. It is moved to a higher position, and increased in size.[3]

## History

### L0 series

The first L0 series vehicle was delivered to the Yamanashi Maglev Test Line and unveiled to the press in November 2012.[16] The first five vehicles were linked up and placed on the guideway in June 2013.[9]

The first five-car train began test-running at the 42.8 km (26.6 mi) Yamanashi Maglev Test Line in June 2013, following completion of extension and upgrade work at the facility, earlier than the originally scheduled September date.[17] The maximum speed of test runs was gradually increased, reaching 500 km/h by the end of July 2013.[17]

The five-car train was lengthened to seven cars in September 2013, and test-running as a 12-car formation commenced on 25 June 2014.[18] The train was reverted to a 7-car formation later in 2014,[18] and used for public preview rides starting in November.[19]

A series of endurance and speed tests was carried out on the 42.8 km (26.6 mi) test rail in April 2015 to examine the reliability and durability of the L0 after repeated high speed usage. Several speed and distance records were set in the process.[20]

After April 2015, the train returned to being used for public preview rides.

### Improved L0 Series

The L0 series are planned to be replaced with a revised model from May 2020 (named the "Improved L0 series"). This will be the first L0 series to receive power from the guideway, through induction. Currently, on-board power is provided by a small gas generator in each end car. The new end cars also feature a relocated and enlarged camera, and are more aerodynamic thanks to the removal of the exhaust vent necessary for the generator. Only one end car will be replaced by 2020, however, as well as one intermediate car. This means that the train will consist of a combination of revised and original cars for a period of time.[3]

This model is expected to form the basis for the full production sets.