When Was the Maglev Train Invented?

Maglev -- short for magnetic levitation -- trains can trace their roots to technology pioneered at Brookhaven National Laboratory. James Powell and Gordon Danby of Brookhaven received the first patent for a magnetically levitated train design in the late 1960s.

When was the first maglev train used?

In 1984, the first commercial maglev came on line in Birmingham, England. From 1984 to 1995, a low-speed maglev connected Birmingham International Airport to Birmingham International railway station. It only traversed 600 meters and traveled slowly.

Who first invented the maglev train?

In fact, maglev technology was first developed by English inventor Eric Laithwaite with the world's first commercial maglev train opened in 1984 in Birmingham. It travelled 600m at only 42km/h and was closed in 1995 because of reliability and design problems.