The Maglev Train is a new kind of railroad –one that works using electromagnetic technology that allows trains to run without touching the tracks. In essence, this is a flying, or at least levitating train. This is not science fiction, but a system that is currently being used in several places, including China, Japan and Germany.
Maglev Trains can run at speeds of up to 500 kilometers (over 300 miles) per hour, making it competitive with airplanes in terms of speed. Other advantages are that it’s quiet and can be built in a way that is harmonious with the surrounding environment.There are various proposals to build more Maglev systems in many locations, including the UK and California.
Trans-Siberian is an engrossing thriller starring Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer, directed by Brad Anderson. It is, in some ways, a throwback to old fashioned mysteries that took place on long train rides. I was a little disappointed to learn that the film Trans-Siberian was not actually filmed on the actual train of the same name, but in Lithuania. Still, the scenery is stark and vivid and captures the mystique of a long Eastern European train journey.
Transsiberian is about an American couple, Roy and Jessie, who take the Trans Siberian railroad, which connects Moscow with the Eastern part of Russia. They meet and become friends with another couple whose origins and destination are mysterious.
Along the long journey across largely barren lands, various things happen, involving a romantic triangle, violence and criminal activity. The second couple may be drug runners. A Russian policeman, played by Ben Kinglsey begins to follow Roy and Jessie around the train, asking questions. Unfortunately, the good acting and suspense lead to a less than satisfying conclusion, at least in my opinion. However, overall, Trans-Siberian is a great train movie and will certainly keep you interested. Now, as this is a train site and not a movie review site (though, as an aside, long train rides are a good place to watch films), I should say a little about the actual Trans-Siberian railroad!
The Trans-Siberian is actually the world’s longest railway system. It is a total of 9297 kilometers (about 5776 miles). This is almost twice as far as going from, say, New York to Los Angeles or San Francisco. Having done the latter journey several times, the three days across North America seems quite long, so I can only imagine what a trip twice that length would be like!
The Trans-Siberian railroad connects the Western part of Russia, Moscow, which is on the border of Europe, with Mongolia, China and the Sea of Japan. This great railway system was built during the Czarist period of Russia, starting in the late 19th Century and has been running ever since. There are presently plans to upgrade the railroad’s technology.
