Ticket to ride.

I've just been writing about this on my railway blog (which you can find here but I'm still feeling rather cheerful about it so let's write some more!

A few weeks ago in Tokyo station I noticed a JR poster for rides on their experimental MAGLEV linear motor train. Application for the ticket lottery was on the internet so I applied but not with much hope. They only have three open days this year and there are just 1500 seats available in total. I'm sure that you could fill those ten times over just with railway 'buffs' from the Tokyo area.

But today I received my ticket in the post! It's not often I'm lucky in prize draws but here was a good one to win for me. I have to get over to the test track in Yamanashi Prefecture for 10:15 on the 24th so that will be an 'early to rise' morning for me.

This test line runs through the mountains - and mainly in tunnels - for around 50 miles. Only in Japan would people invest in futuristic railway engineering like this - but actually the test route will form part of the new track from Tokyo to West Japan if they ever get to go ahead with it. Maybe it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel by MAGLEV for me - even if the new route is finished in 15 years and I get to see it I'll be getting on and probably not aiming to travel down to Osaka in a hurry any more! The slow old shinkansen will be plenty fast enough for me ...

Exciting - the idea of running at 300 mph on a train. Back in the 1830's politicians in England worried if people's bodies could really cope with a velocity of 30 mph. Just yesterday I was reading an account of the steam locomotive world speed record of 126 mph back in 1938. One well known recorder of railway matters had been invited to be on that train but missed it because he had to attend a friend's wedding. So - if you are planning on 'tieing the knot' and want me there don't do it on the 24th August please!