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This is an assessment of Japanese High Speed Surface Transport (HSST) policy, vision, goals, and magnetic levitation development and commercialization strategy. It includes a status report for a test program now underway to demonstrate the safety, reliability and economic viability of the HSST-100 maglev train system. HSST-100 is one of three types of HSST maglev trains planned for implementation in Japan: HSST-100 for 100 km/h urban service, HSST-200 for 200 km/h medium range suburban service, and HSST 300 for the 300 km/h long range interurban application. For the HSST-100 program, included are detailed specifications for the vehicle, location of the Chubu (Central Japan) test site South of Nagoya, test site guideway specifications, guideway switching concept, test site facility description, major test activities, and test event schedule.

This is an assessment of Japanese High Speed Surface Transit (HSST) policy, vision, goals, and magnetic levitation development and commercialization technology. It includes an illustrated historical review of past HSST magnetic levitation vehicle developments, a review of the present status of HSST trains, and an outline of future HSST conventional magnetic levitation trains with speeds of 300 km/h for interurban and transcontinental service. Also described are: the start of construction of a new test track which includes the track switching mechanism designed for the Las Vegas HSST route in the United States; test operation execution for the practicalization of HSST-100 by the newly formed Chubu (Central Japan) HSST Development Corporation of Nagoya Railroad Company and HSST Corporation. These magnetic levitation electric trains have been under development since 1974 and are now considered ready for introduction into commercial service.

This is an assessment of United States High Speed Guided Transit (HSGT) systems policy, vision, goals, and magnetic levitation development and commercialization technology. It includes a historical review of past magnetic levitation vehicle developments, a review of the present status of MagLev trains, and an outline of future conventional (EML) Electro Magnetic Levitation for speeds under 400 km/h; and, (SC) Super Conductive (EDL) Electro Dynamic Levitation for subsonic speeds approaching 900 km/h. Magnetic levitation transit technology has been under development in America since the United States Congress passed the 1965 High Speed Guided Transit Act (HSGT) which authorized the Department of Transportation to fund HSGT projects. Since this initial effort focused attention on the potential of the magnetic levitation concept for very high speed transit applications, this technology has been an ongoing development in Europe and Japan.

There are two well known basic concepts for achieving magnetic levitation of vehicles: one is based on electromagnetic attraction (EMA); and the second method is based on electrodynamic repulsion (EDR). In turn, each of these concepts has at least two variations (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19)1 This paper presents a third form of levitation known in the Ukraine as the Magnetic Potential Well (MPW) developed by Kozoriz (20, 21, 22 and 23), and in the West as Laithwaite's Magnetic River (24)(25). The MPW concept, in effect, electrifies the passive sidewall levitation coils of the RTRI EDR (16) system to obtain levitation at zero vehicle velocity and during acceleration to cruising speed. This dc electrification of sidewall levitation coils eliminates the need for wheels during acceleration from standstill and deceleration in the station. Specifically, MPW levitation force exhibits a stable positive slope as the levitation gap increases.

This is an assessment of electric propulsion and magnetic levitation of automotive size vehicles in Japan. It includes conventional battery electric vehicles with peak speeds up to 100 km/h in mixed traffic for urban and suburban applications and magnetic levitation guideway confined vehicles with peak speeds of 300 km/h for intercity trans-sportation. These electric vehicles have been under development since 1971 and some are considered ready for commercialization.

This is a comparative assessment of the three magnetic levitation high speed mass transportation systems currently under extensive development, and in the prototype vehicle demonstration stage, in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and in Japan: One approach, which is promoted by Transrapid International (TRI) in FRG, is based on the electro magnetic levitation (EML) concept; a second approach, which is promoted by the High Speed Surface Transport Corporation (HSST), is based on the EML concept developed and licensed from Japan Air Lines (JAL); a third approach, which is promoted by the Railroad technology Research Institute (RTRI) (Sogo Tetsudo Gijutsu Kenkyusho), the developer of the Shinkansen train, is based on the super conductive electro dynamic levitation (EDL) concept.