HSST and Linimo
The HSST is the original urban maglev. Its only line, the Linimo near Nagoya, has carried passengers since Expo 2005 and shows that maglev can run reliably in everyday service for two decades.
From an airline project to a commuter line
Most urban maglev systems in service today descend from the HSST.
HSST stands for High Speed Surface Transport. The system was originally developed by Japan Airlines as a fast airport link and later commercialized by Chubu HSST Development Corporation.
It uses electromagnetic suspension with linear induction motors on the vehicle. This short-stator design keeps the guideway simple and became the basis for later urban maglev systems, including those now running in China.
Fact sheet
- Line
- Linimo (Aichi Rapid Transit Tobu Kyuryo Line)
- Route
- Fujigaoka to Yakusa, Aichi Prefecture
- Length
- 8.9 km, 9 stations
- Top speed
- 100 km/h
- Opened
- 6 March 2005, for Expo 2005
- Principle
- Electromagnetic suspension (EMS), linear induction motor
- Status
- In service
Reliable, but not profitable
The Linimo has run since 2005 and now also serves Ghibli Park. It proves that urban maglev works over decades in normal operation. It also shows the weak point of the concept: the line made a loss of 2.1 billion yen in fiscal 2009, and the system has not been sold to another city in Japan.