UPDATE: July 10, 2023, 11:27 AM IST
team mint
Speed has overtaken the trains running on time. MoreSpeed has overtaken punctual trains as the talking point. It is difficult to identify exactly when this happened. On a timeline that extends to steam locomotives, we can pin down the changes to Japan’s bullet trains. Their clever branding, introduced in the 1960s, brought them instant worldwide fame – and gave other railways a fast-moving target to chase. China overtook it decades later with its sudden maglev acceleration. As visitors to Shanghai testify, magnetic-levitation travel is a marvel of technology. Free from the friction of track contact, the Maglev train ride is a smooth glide at speeds up to 400 kmph. By most accounts, this is a sensation in itself. Its engine does not have a bullet-like snout, but a sleek aerodynamic front. It is also a variant of the Vande Bharat trains of the Indian Railways.