The Japanese government has given approval for Central Japan Railway Co. to break ground on a line for a magnetically levitated train between Tokyo and Nagoya. Considered the next-generation of long-distance, mass-transit vehicles, the maglev uses magnetic pulses to propel the carriages, doing away with the need for wheels, axles and bearings. The reduction in the number of parts that come into contact with the track gives the maglev dramatically less friction, providing a smoother and quieter ride at a faster speed. The journey between Tokyo and Nagoya presently takes 90 minutes; the maglev will slash that to just 40 minutes. Once operational, the company plans to extend the track to Osaka by 2045, reaching speeds of 310 mph and reducing that journey time to one hour. The cost of the project has been put at Â¥8.44 trillion (£47.9 bn).