True Futuristic Train from Tomy

I see what you mean super and I guess in a toy train it would be the only realistic way of producing the motion. To switch electro-magnets on a track on and off would require some pretty clever tech as you'd probably need a micro-processor in each piece of track which would then need to be numbered and controlled in the correct order. That or something alternate could be done in a fixed setup, but in a set where you take random pieces out of a box and assemble them in order would be a work of genius to get it to auto-configure etc... Not to mention prohibitively expensive if each piece of track is intelligent in some form.

I suppose if the 'station' communicates with the locomotive say using R/C it could instruct it when/how to fluctuate the magnets in the train in order to get the thing to move and more importantly enable it to travel at different speeds. But even this would probably require a cpu/software in the train to enable it to sync all the magents in all the cars in order to get the motion to work, especially at high speeds.

Regardless it is a marvellous achievement of technology not to mention miniaturisation

One other thing I noticed is the train that is compared against the maglev is actually a Tomix according to the caption as opposed to a blue track Tomy. The Tomix would probably be quicker than unmodified Tomy anyway so the fact it is that much quicker than the Tomix is even more impressive.

I suppose extrapolating things you may find that station might be capable of commanding multiple maglevs simultaneously if they have employed any form of digital addressing as seen in modern day OO/HO/N gauge digital systems...

Interesting times ahead