It’s a bird... it’s a train... it’s... sort of both.

Called “maglev” for short, high-speed magnetic levitation trains actually hover above the rails, taking advantage of magnetic fields for motion. There could be a route from LA to Las Vegas in the next few years and these sleek trains may be able to zip along at 300 mph by the time the technology is ready for travelers to hop onboard.

In general, it seems like it's time to don the conductor’s cap; trains are ready to come back. With almost a dozen tentative plans for high-speed trains over the next few decades, there may be space for maglev, which would deliver a smooth, silent ride. The maglev could be considered the hybrid of the train world, only better.

There are two types of maglev trains so far: electrodynamic suspension and electromagnetic suspension. In electrodynamic suspension, the magnets between the rail and the car repel each other, raising cars off the ground. In electromagnetic suspension, magnets are placed differently, attracting the car to the track. It’s fascinating technology, worth a visit to this article for more info.