A magnetically levitated Japanese train raced to a new record Tuesday, topping its own record set just last month.

The experimental maglev set the world's top speed for a train, clocking 581 kilometres per hour in a test run in Yamanashi Prefecture (state), west of Tokyo, according to Central Japan Railway Co., which is carrying out the experiments.

Maglev trains differ from conventional trains in that magnets lift them slightly off the track, eliminating speed-reducing friction and reducing noise.

The maglev is part of a government-financed project to develop faster trains for a country that is already home to some of the world's speediest. Central Japan Railway Co., part of the former state-run railway, is jointly developing the maglev with Japan's Railway Technology Research Institute.

Germany has developed a maglev train, and the United States also is planning one.