First passengers on Japanese maglev train travel at speeds of 500 kmph

London: Japan debuted its new maglev train that travels at an incredible speed of 311 mph (500 kmph).

The maglev trains have been tested before between the cities of Uenohara and Fuefuki but now members of the public have been allowed on board for the first time, the Independent reported.

The 27-mile trip went by in a flash for the 100 passengers as the train, which "floats" above tracks using magnetic levitation, hit speeds of 311 mph (500 kmh) and the Central Japan Railway Company is running eight days of testing for the experimental maglev Shinkansen train on its test track in Yamanashi Prefecture.

The trains will eventually consist of 16 carriages, carrying up to 1,000 passengers at a time and cutting the current travel time by more than half, from 90 to 40 minutes and the central line in the country - the Tokaido Shinkansen - is the world's busiest high-speed rail, carrying 151 million passengers each year.