A method of supporting and transporting objects or vehicles which is based on the physical property that the force between two magnetised bodies is inversely proportional to their distance. By using this magnetic force to counterbalance the gravitational pull, a stable and contactless suspension between a magnet (magnetic body) and a fixed guideway (magnetized body) may be obtained. In magnetic levitation (maglev), also known as magnetic suspension, this basic principle is used to suspend (or levitate) vehicles weighing 40 tonnes or more by generating a controlled magnetic force. By removing friction, these vehicles can travel at speeds higher than wheeled trains, with considerably improved propulsion efficiency (thrust energy/input energy) and reduced noise. In maglev vehicles, chassis-mounted magnets are either suspended underneath a ferromagnetic guideway (track), or levitated above an aluminium track.