An L0 series magnetic levitation (maglev) train pictured at the Yamanashi Maglev test track site, in Tsuru, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Central Japan Railway is building a maglev rail link between Tokyo and Osaka, which is set to open in 2027. Once operational, the travel time between the two cities will be more than halved to 40 minutes for a 286 km journey. Earlier tis month, the company was overwhelmed by applications for a ride on the train in November and December. A total of about 150 000 applications were received for 1 200 pairs of seats.