The 10 fastest trains in the world

*Review of the best according to the editorial board. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective, not intended as an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to purchase. Before buying, it is necessary to consult with a specialist.

The modern world demands that things be done as fast as possible. A little delay with breakfast, and you’re late for work, and an angry boss makes not very positive plans for your bonus. You delay marriage and you are over thirty, and you have to pretend that everything suits you just fine. No time to sign a profitable contract and pounds of money go to the competitors.

That’s why modern transport also has to be fast. So that you don’t have to spend several days traveling from one city to another. Engineers are constantly inventing new ways to travel, which allow to cross the continent in a few hours. Supercars and supersonic highways, supersonic airplanes, trains that can reach 300-400 km/h… All these are designed to make travel easy and fast.

And in this article we’ve ranked the 10 fastest trains in the world. They really do travel at impressive speeds, allowing you to cross the entire country in a matter of hours. As it should be in the modern world.

The speed indicated is the maximum speed attained, not the standard mode, since even the fastest trains carry passengers at 250-300 km/h.

Rating of the world’s fastest trains

ain (“Shanghai Maglev”), China

Nomination	place	product name	Maximal speed
Rating of the fastest trains in the world	10	AVE Talgo-350, Spain	330 KM/H
9	“Sapsan”, Russia	350 KM/HOUR
8	KTX2, South Korea	352 KM/H
7	THSR 700T, Taiwan	355 KM/H
6	Shinkansen Alfa-X, Japan	360 KM/HF
5	CR 80A, China	380 KM/H
4	Shanghai Maglev
431 KM/H
3	TR09, Germany	450 KM/H
2	TGV POS, France	574,9 KM/H
1	Maglev L0, Japan	603 KM/H

10th place: AVE Talgo-350, Spain, 330 km/h

Rating: 4.1

Spain was the first European country to launch an entire network of high-speed lines, i.e. not just a single route, but several, with hubs in Barcelona and Madrid. And the fastest train that runs on these lines is the AVE Talgo-350, capable of speeding up to 330 km/h.

The AVE Talgo-350 was launched in 2007 and took 13 years to develop and design. The route is known primarily for its strange design. The locomotive is called a “duck” because of its elongated nose and unexpectedly straight windshield. However, this design has only a positive impact on aerodynamic characteristics.

AVE Talgo-350 runs between Madrid and Barcelona. When running non-stop, it covers a distance of 621 km from one city to another in just 2.5 hours. The locomotive has eight megawatt engines, which provides fairly high energy efficiency combined with low cost of transportation.

9th place: Sapsan, Russia, 350 km/h

Rating: 4.2

Despite the fact that Russian “Sapsans” can speed up to 350 km/h without any problems, their standard speed is 250 km/h. This is due to the peculiarities of the laid route. “Sapsans” run between Moscow and St. Petersburg through densely populated areas, and when accelerating above 300 km/h a vortex effect is created behind the locomotive. Flows of air cut by the train can knock a grown man down, even if he is standing 5 meters away from the railroad tracks.

In addition, for such high speeds the Sapsan will need new railroad tracks. Now the track it travels on is 152 cm wide. For additional acceleration it is required to reduce it to the standard European values of 143.5 cm. So the Sapsan has to travel at 250 km/h.

The Sapsan locomotive itself is built on a Siemens platform, but it is manufactured specifically for Russian conditions. Not only width of gauge is taken into account but also peculiarities of climate. The train runs on normal railroad tracks, i.e. a separate high-speed line was not built for it.

8th place: KTX2, South Korea, 352 km/h

Rating: 4.3

The KTX2 (KTX-Sancheon) was the second high-speed train to be launched in South Korea. Its standard speed is 305 km/h, but during tests it was able to reach 352 km/h. The Hyundai Rotem company took part in the development of the locomotive and passenger cars and the route itself was launched in 2010.

To make the train lighter and faster, the body of the car was made of a special aluminum alloy. At the same time the thickness of walls and windows is comparatively high – up to 38 mm. This is done to provide noise isolation and sealing so that passengers feel comfortable.

Thanks to its powerful engines the train is able to reach cruising speed in just 316 seconds. It is used on almost all of South Korea’s high-speed roads. For example, it runs between Seoul and Busan, covering a distance of 417.5 km in just under two hours with a stop in Daegu City.

7th place: THSR 700T, Taiwan, 355 km/h

Rating: 4.4

Taiwan’s THSR 700T is one of the biggest high-speed trains in the world. Its maximum capacity is 989 passengers! At the same time, 66 of them can ride in business class – with wide seats and a comfortable layout.

The Japanese Shinkansen company group famous for its “bullet trains” took part in the development of the vehicle. However, the device had to be adapted for use in Taiwan. High-speed mainline, these cars are running on, was launched in 2007. The standard speed is 300 kilometers per hour, but during tests they managed to reach 355 kilometers per hour.

The train operates on Taiwan’s only high-speed rail line, which connects the Nangang districts of Taipei and Zuoing in Kaohsiung. The distance between them is almost 360 km. The THSR 700T travels there in just over an hour. And the rail route runs along the coast, so passengers also have beautiful views from the windows.

6th place: Shinkansen Alfa-X, Japan, 360 km/h

Rating: 4.5

Shinkansen trains have long been among the fastest in the world. And still today locomotives are called “bullet trains” – both because they are capable of speeds over 300 kilometers per hour, and because of their streamlined aerodynamic design.

Also, these routes were some of the first high-speed. So, they were launched back in 1964. And they run on a “European” gauge with a width of 143.5 cm, which is slightly larger than on standard Japanese rail routes. That’s why only bullet trains run on the Shinkansen.

The fastest locomotives are 400 and 500 series. These are the ones going on the HSL now. Also in 2019, a brand new Alfa-X train was tested, which was able to speed up to 360 kilometers per hour. The most interesting feature of this locomotive is its 22-meter nose, created specially to improve aerodynamic characteristics. The thing is that the trains have tunnels on their tracks and the trains, entering them, experience a very strong air resistance. The 22-meter streamlined nose will help reduce it, thereby maintaining the reliability of the design.

5th place: CR

80A, China, 380 km/h

Rating: 4.6

The TGV POS is a train on the international rail network that connects France, Switzerland and Germany. In 2007 it was able to set a world speed record for such a vehicle, accelerating to 574.9 kilometers per hour!

It’s worth noting, though, that the record-breaking train was specifically optimized to set a new “bar”. It has reduced the number of passenger cars in the train to 3 units (it usually rides with 10 units), and closed the gaps between them. It helped to reduce the air resistance. In addition, they put the wheels of increased diameter and raised the voltage in the catenary network.

However, even in operational mode, the TGV POS is a very fast train. It travels at 320 km/h, which is an impressive result for wheeled rail transport. It takes 3.5 hours to get from Paris to Basel in Switzerland and 4.5 hours to Zurich.

1st place: Maglev L0, Japan, 603 km/h

Rating: 5.0

Japanese railroaders set the absolute speed record among trains in 2015. They were able to accelerate the L0 locomotive to 603 kilometers per hour! The train uses technology of magnetic levitation and also has a special streamlined aerodynamic body (which can seem funny because of the elongated curved “nose”).

It is worth noting that it has not yet been put into service. The trains which use the technology of magnetic levitation need their own railway line and they cannot “fly” on a standard track. And it is in the process of being built. There are plans to open a levitation line connecting Tokyo and Nagoya in the mid-2020s, and in the next two decades to build it to Osaka.

The L0 maglev will be one of the most technologically advanced trains. Like the German one

09, it won’t need the contact feeding rail – it will get all the electric power it needs by induction from the railroad tracks. There are also plans to do away with the traditional cockpit, most of the train’s systems will be controlled automatically, and the driver will be present “just in case”. It won’t be able to admire its surroundings, either, due to the lack of a windshield – it would simply crack from the air impact.

Overall, the L0 Maglev is the fastest train in the world. Even though it has not yet been launched, it still holds the record for the speed of ground passenger transport.