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Curiosities: Electromagnets propel hovering maglev trains

Q. How do maglev trains work?
A. Maglev is short for magnetic levitation, which means maglev trains hover centimeters above a guide rail under the force of powerful electromagnets.

“It’s almost like being on an airplane. You’re just floating above the track,” says Giri Venkataramanan, an electrical engineering professor at UW-Madison.