After almost two years of preparation, electronics manufacturer Panasonic Corporation has secured its most impressive Guinness World Records title to date, setting an all-new record for the Longest distance travelled by a vehicle on a railway track powered by dry cell batteries, completing an impressive 22.615 km (14.05 miles) journey on Yurikougen Railway Chokaisanroku Line, in Akita, Japan.
 
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As the objective of the attempt was to demonstrate the strength and durability of their signature product, the vehicle was powered solely by Panasonic’s Evolta batteries – 600 of them.
 
The train was built entirely by 13 students from Kawagoe Technical High School in Japan – the “train team” – and it weighed a whopping 1,097 kg.
 
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Taking place on a daily operated railway line in a local town in Akita prefecture, North of Japan, the train set off from Maego station, travelled to Yashima station, and then travelled back to Maego where a huge crowd of supporters were waiting to celebrate.
 
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During the incredible 2 hr 36 min journey, the train made three stops so that the people on board could get on and off and drivers could swap round.
 
Official Guinness World Records adjudicator Gulnaz Ukassova was one of the passengers, there to oversee the attempt and verify the record. He said: “The atmosphere was very special from all the adjudications I’ve ever attended, everyone was waving towards the train, walking and running along the train to support the high school students”.
 
 
Friends and families of those involved watched the attempt live from the high school.
 
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In December 2013, Panasonic, alongside TOMY Company Ltd (Japan) created the Longest plastic toy train track at Takinogawa-Daishichi Elementary School in Kita, Tokyo, measuring 5,608.44 m (18,400 ft 4 in). The company also hold records for the Greatest distance by a radio-controlled model car on one set of batteries and has the Longest lasting AA alkaline battery. Find out more and read an interview with Panasonic Energy Device Business Division Director Mitsutoshi Shigeta here.
 
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