Maglev

A rail transport mode whose vehicles are levitated and propelled by magnetic force instead of rolling on wheels, eliminating rolling friction between the train and its guideway. Electromagnetic suspension systems use electromagnets to pull the train toward a conductive rail from below, while electrodynamic suspension uses superconducting or permanent magnets to create a repulsive cushion; propulsion in both cases comes from a linear motor built into the guideway itself. The first commercial maglev people mover opened near Birmingham, England in 1984, and later systems in Shanghai and Japan have since reached commercial speeds well above conventional high-speed rail.