1:55pm UK, Monday November 17, 2003

A Japanese train broke its own world speed record when engineers sent it hurtling 347mph down a test track west of Tokyo.

The magnetically levitated (maglev) MLX01 raced to its new record with nobody on board.

Engineers at the 11-mile test track near the city of Kofu controlled the train remotely.

In 1999, when it clocked the previous fastest maglev speed of 343mph, there were 13 people on board.

Maglev trains differ from conventional trains in that magnets lift them slightly off the ground, eliminating speed-reducing friction with the tracks.

The MLX01 is part of a £1bn government-financed project to develop faster trains for a country that is already home to some of the world's speediest.

Japan's Shinkansen 'bullet trains' run up to 186mph, and have reached speeds of 275mph in test runs conducted in 1996.

Germany has developed a maglev train, which made its commercial debut in Shanghai, China, last year.

The United States is planning to build its first commercial maglev at a yet-to-be selected location.