WASHINGTON (AP) — A Washington firm is continuing efforts to bring high-speed, magnetic levitation trains to the region.

Senate lobbying reports show Northeast Maglev paid more than $500,000 to four lobbying firms last year. The Washington Post reports the company says it is continuing to make progress toward bringing the benefits of what it says is the word’s fastest and most advanced train to the Northeast corridor.

High-speed maglev trains are suspended on a magnetic cushion above the track and travel free of friction. There are none in the U.S. The only commercial maglev lines are in Aichi, Japan and Shanghai.

A $5.1 billion proposal to build a 39-mile maglev line linking Baltimore, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Union Station in Washington stalled over lack of legislative support and cost concerns.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)