it takes about 560 kilowatts to run a diesel locomotive at speed around 180km/h.Magnetically levitated trains(mag levs) on the other hand require less power because the magnetic levitation eliminates energy loss to friction.The worst maglev system requires 270 watts to levitate the train and 783 watts total to move it at 165 km/h(fast maglevs can make closer to 500km/h).The number of passengers each train can hold is comparable.How much less enery does it take to travel one kilometre in a maglev train as opposed to one kilometre in a train pulled by a diesel locomotive

Question

it takes about 560 kilowatts to run a diesel locomotive at speed around 180km/h.Magnetically levitated trains(mag levs) on the other hand require less power because the magnetic levitation eliminates energy loss to friction.The worst maglev system requires 270 watts to levitate the train and 783 watts total to move it at 165 km/h(fast maglevs can make closer to 500km/h).The number of passengers each train can hold is comparable.How much less enery does it take to travel one kilometre in a maglev train as opposed to one kilometre in a train pulled by a diesel locomotive

Answer 1

180 km/hr = (180/3.6) m/s

so to run 1000 meters takes
1000 (3.6/180) = 20 seconds

energy used = 560,000 Joules/s * 20 sec
= 11,200,000 Joules

165 km/hr = (165/3.6) m/s

1000 (3.6/165) = 21.8 seconds

energy used = (783) *21.8 = 17,083 Joules
so
11,200,000 - 17,083

I do not believe it. 783 watts is not enough to overcome air resistance at that speed I think. That is like one horsepower. Perhaps they are running in a vacuum tunnel.