What is the Linimo?

There are lots of wonderful things to experience on a Linimo ride!

Extremely quiet!
Because the vehicle floats above the rails, there is no friction and the ride is very comfortable, with very little noise and vibration.
Sharp turns are a breeze!
Because the module supporting its body moves along the rail like a centipede, the Linimo can smoothly take sharp bends which would be impossible for a normal train.
Outstanding acceleration!
The Linimo can accelerate 1.5 times faster than a bullet train, and boasts a top speed of 100 km/h.
Steep hills? No problem!
Linear motors that do not rely on friction between wheels and rails mean the vehicle can go up steep hills with ease.
Unmanned automatic operation!
The view from the car is spectacular!

Features of the Linimo


Three-car train, train length 43.3m

  • Floating mechanism
    The vehicle floats through a force of attraction directed toward the rails which is generated when electricity flows through electromagnets attached to the train body. The distance between the electromagnets and the rail is maintained at a constant 8 mm by means of a gap sensor.

  • Propulsion mechanism
    The vehicle is propelled by a linear motor. A linear motor is like an ordinary rotary motor which has been flattened out. While ordinary motors are used to generate rotational forces, linear motors are used for going forward.

  • Moving Wheeled Platforms (Modules)
    A module is a wheeled platform for a train car, consisting of four electromagnets for levitation and one linear induction motor coil. Besides these, the module is equipped with hydraulic brake devices and so on.
    One car has five pairs of modules (each pair consists of a left and a right module, 10 in total) using air springs at the bottom of the carriage.


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