Determination of the fastest railed vehicle in the world varies depending on the criteria, because of the variety of designs. The French TGV is the fastest conventional train in the world, using powered metal wheels riding on metal rails. In 1990 it reached speeds of 515.3 km/h under test conditions with a shortened train (two power cars and three passenger cars). The test track and train were specially prepared and had to be taken out of service afterwards. However, the Japanese JR-Maglev has achieved 581 km/h, and unmanned rocket sleds that ride on rails have reached over 10,400 km/h, equivalent to Mach 8.5.
| km/h |
Train |
Type |
Location |
Date |
Comments
|
| 230.2 |
Schienenzeppelin |
Propeller pushed railcar with a petrol aero engine |
Germany |
21 June 1931 |
Absolute record for more than twenty years
|
| km/h |
Train |
Type |
Location |
Date |
Comments
|
| 430 |
Aérotrain |
Jet aero engine |
France |
5 March 1974 |
Peak speed 430 km/h, mean speed 417.6 km/h
|
Non-conventional
| Top speed (km/h) |
Train |
Type |
Location |
Date |
Comments
|
| 4972 |
|
Rocket |
New Mexico (USA) |
1959 |
It run on SNORT (Supersonic Naval Ordnance Track).
|
| 9845 |
|
Rocket |
Holloman Air Force Base (USA) |
October 1982 |
Unmanned. It blasted a 25-pound payload to a speed of 6119 mph.
|
| 10430 |
|
Rocket |
Holloman Air Force Base (USA) |
30 April 2003 |
Unmanned. It was the final stage of a four-stage sled train, which included the sled, a Super Roadrunner rocket motor, and a 192-pound payload on top. The sled train delivered payload into a target at a velocity of 9465 feet per second, or 6453 mph (2885 m/s), or Mach 8.5.
|
Scheduled trains
Average speed
| Average speed (km/h) |
Top speed (km/h) |
Train |
Type |
Location |
From |
To |
Distance |
Date |
Comments
|
| 132.1 |
160 |
Mistral |
Electric |
France |
Paris |
Dijon |
315 km |
1964
|
| 162.8 |
210 |
Hikari Shinkansen |
Electric |
Japan |
Tokyo |
Shin-Osaka |
515.0 km |
1965
|
| 261.8 |
300 |
Nozomi Shinkansen |
Electric |
Japan |
Hiroshima |
Kokura |
192.0 km |
1997
|
| 263.3 |
320 |
TGV |
Electric |
France |
Lyon-St Exupéry |
Aix-en-Provence |
289.6 km |
2005
|
Top speed
| Top speed (km/h) |
Average speed (km/h) |
Train |
Type |
Location |
From |
To |
Distance |
Date |
Comments
|
| 210 |
128.9 |
Hikari Shinkansen |
Electric |
Japan |
Tokyo |
Shin-Osaka |
515 km |
1964
|
| 270 |
- |
TGV |
Electric |
France |
Paris |
Lyon-Perrache |
- |
1981
|
| 300 |
- |
TGV |
Electric |
France |
Paris |
Le Mans |
- |
1990
|
| 320 |
263.3 |
TGV |
Electric |
France |
Lyon-St Exupéry |
Aix-en-Provence |
289.6 km |
2005
|
| 431 |
245.5 |
Shanghai Maglev Train |
Maglev |
China |
Shanghai Pudong Airport |
Shanghai Longyang Road |
30 km |
2003
|
See also
External links
