WILL THERE BE TRAINS IN OUR FUTURE? - All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide - page 262

Will People Accept High-Speed Trains?
They have almost everywhere else in the world. The Japanese
have had it figured out for decades. With their TGV trains, the
French are the acknowledged leaders. The Spanish have turned
to high-speed rail in a big way, pouring billions of dollars into
their AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) system that now links their
major cities at speeds nearing 200 mph. There are high-speed
trains running all over Europe; as soon as a new route opens,
passengers flock to use it.
Let's not forget the Chinese: the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed
train is one of the fastest trains in the world. This sleek, 21st-
century train routinely travels at speeds of 200 to 218 mph and
has been tested at speeds of more than 300 mph.
Why do people choose to ride high-speed trains? Because
modern high-speed trains can take you from one city center to
another 400 miles away in less time, for less money, and more
comfortably than it would take if you made the trip by plane.
What About Maglev?
Just when we're beginning to grasp the idea of traveling up to
200 mph on land, along comes yet another new transportation
technology: magnetic levitation (maglev). Do you think it's some
kind of exotic, pie-in-the-sky, science-fiction idea? Nope, maglev
is already here, and it really works.
As with so many great ideas, the basic concept is quite sim-
ple. We've all held a magnet in each hand and, by turning them
one way or another, felt them either attract or repel each other.
That's how maglev works. Large, electric-powered magnets are
built into both the train and the guideway. By using the magnets'
pushing and pulling forces, the train can be lifted free of its track
and moved forward.