Central Japan Railway breaks ground on two 313-mph Maglev train lines

We envy any nation that's packed with high-speed bullet trains traversing its land. Period.

Them crazy cats in Japan have some of the trickest trains in the world and with its government approving two additional Maglev train lines – one connecting Tokyo to Nagoya and the other linking Osaka to Tokyo – jealousy has truly sunk in. Again.

Less resistance means more speed and that's the principle behind Maglev train lines. In fact, Japan's just-approved Maglev train will be able to hit a blistering top speed of 313 miles per hour. Yeah, the train system and its required tunnels will cost upwards of 9 trillion yen ($112 billion U.S. at the current exchange rate), but it's worth it considering that the blazing bullet train will complete the 317-mile trip from Tokyo to Osaka in a tick or two over 60 minutes.

Don't buy a ticket for these trains just yet, though, as this is a long-term plan.The first line – the one linking Tokyo to Nagoya – will be finished by 2027 and the second by 2045. Construction on both lines is already well underway, but the network of tunnels will take ages to complete.

[Source: Inhabitat | Image: foolish adler – C.C. License 2.0]