A magnetic suspension and guidance system for a very high‐velocity (MACH 10) ground‐based rocket sled facility has been studied.1These results have been extended and applied to the study of a high speed (300 mph or greater) passenger train using this system. Suspension and guidance forces are obtained through the interaction of the magnetic field of an on‐board superconducting magnet with eddy currents induced in a stationary metallic guideway. It was found that at high velocities the levitation force can be calculated as if the guideway had infinite conductivity. Thus, magnetic image methods can be used resulting in an image forceFiFl=&mgr;0(ni)2&pgr;Z2Z−(L2+Z2)1/2−(W2+Z2)1/2−(W2+Z2)1/2−(L2+W2+Z2)1/2W2+Z2(Z2)−(L2+Z2)1/2−(L2+W2+Z2)1/2L2+Z2(Z2),wherenis the number of turns, andithe current in a rectangular magnet of length 2land width 2wat a suspension heightz. At finite velocities, the resistivity of the guideway reduces the actual lift forceFlbelowFiand produces a drag forceFd. Semiphenomenological expressions for these forces as a function of velocity and suspension height have been found for a magnet traversing a guideway of semi‐infinite thickness and infinite lateral extentFl/Fi=exp{−&zgr;[1+2(z/2l)3/2]−1}Fd/Fi=12(1−exp{−&zgr;[1+3(z/2l)5/2]−1])exp{−&zgr;[1+2(z/2l)3/2]−1},where &zgr; = (4&pgr;/&mgr;&sgr;vz)1/2,vis the velocity, and &sgr; the conductivity of the guideway.Flis approximatelyFiwhen &zgr; < 1. These results are in semiquantitative agreement with experiments on normal magnets suspended over rotating metallic plates.2Six superconducting magnets 0.5 m square, conducting 3×105A‐tare sufficient to levitate a 100‐passenger vehicle weighing 60 000 pounds at velocities of 50–300 mph. These magnets would provide silent and smooth suspension and guidance, would require little maintenance, and would not require a high‐precision guideway. The important results of this work are: (1) the lift force approachesFiasymptotically; at speeds of ∼50 mph for magnets 0.5 m square,Fl≈0.8Fi. (2) The drag force at high speeds (>50 mph) decreases asv−1/2. (3) The suspension height is adjustable, 0.15 m seems reasonable. (4) Superconducting magnets of modest dimensions are practical and necessary for this application.