The Fastest Trains on Earth

News broke recently of the latest high-speed transport developments in China, where their proposed Maglev system is set to travel at up to 385mph (or 620kph)! Across the globe, nations continually look for ways of making people travel quicker and though this tends to focus on technologically advanced Maglev systems or the highly publicized Hyperloop, increasing the speed of conventional railways is also vitally important. Rather than look to the distant future, below we take a look at where the world currently stands in the race for the fastest high-speed trains.

Even on conventional tracks, China lays the claim to some of the fastest trains on earth. Its Fuxing series of high-speed EMUs carry passengers up to 220 mph on some services and can average over 180 mph between Beijing and Shanghai - a distance of over 800 miles. As a result, the journey takes just over 4 hours, approximately half the time it would take a standard service operating on the same route. Given the size of China as a nation, both in terms of area and population, moving large numbers of passengers quickly over large distances has become crucial to their growth. It is likely that routes to other Chinese cities will begin to travel as fast or faster in the coming decades. G2 approaching from Shanghai Hongqiao on the Beijing to Shanghai High-Speed Railway. Photo by N509FZ CC-BY-SA 4.0

Japan typically has been the nation associated closest with the concept of high-speed rail. For over half a century the famous Shinkansen 'Bullet Trains' have zipped millions of passengers between some of the nation's largest cities and in that time the shape, size and speed of the trains have evolved dramatically. Starting with the 0 Series back in 1964 at 130 mph and increasing the top speed in increments over subsequent decades, today the iconic E5 and N700 units provide the fastest services in Japan, topping at almost 200mph (320kph). Such is the draw of Japan's wealth of knowledge and experience with the Bullet Trains, that a proposed railroad in Texas has even considered importing the N700 units and running them beyond the speeds reached in their home nation. The E5 Shinkansen looks quick enough but has been beaten by China in recent years. They are still very successful and have been suggested as the form of traction for a High-Speed route in India, planned for 2023. Photo by Adam Lucas.

With so many nations interconnected across Europe, it is not surprising to find a number of high-speed railway systems travelling throughout the continent. Though the TGV in France is perhaps the best known historically, in recent years trains in Germany, Italy and Spain have all made headlines with their own record-breaking services. Like the current Shinkansen, the 200mph barrier seems to be the current operational limit of most of these services and though the TGV can trace its origins to around the same time as its Japanese counterparts, being proposed in the 1960s, it didn't actually run until the first LGV opened between Paris and Lyon in 1981. Passengers might only be able to reach 320kph on regular services, but an experimental TGV topped out at 327mph (574kph) during a highly-publicised test run in 2007. A TGV (right) lines up against a slower TER train (left) at Nantes, France. Photo by Joe Rogers.

In Germany, the ICE trains provide a number of cross-border services to neighbouring Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Belgium. Not only are they the nation's quickest trains, but also the most expensive and are frequently cited as alternatives to flying, particularly for business travellers. The units, manufactured by Siemens, form the basis for similar trains in other countries thorughout Europe and therefore hold the record for the fastest train service in Spain, operated by RENFE. The Siemens units also see use in China, Russia, the UK (as the Class 374 or Eurostar e320) and Turkey. A number of these services travel below the 320kph seen in its native Germany. The ICE 3 has relatives throughout Europe and beyond. Here it is seen leaving Cologne. Photo by Adam Lucas.

In the USA, Amtrak passengers will soon be looking forward to the new Avelia Liberty trains set to be introduced this year. The units, manufactured by Alstrom, have already seen use on passenger services elsewhere in the world, notably Italy where services have ran since 2012, starting with the route between Naples and Milan. A notable feature of these Alstrom units is the maximum designed speed of up to 360kph and this has been mentioned a number of times when discussing the potential top speed to expect once the Liberty services begin in the United States. Liberty trains will replace the outgoing Acela services, now in their 21st year of operation and will no doubt become a more regular feature along the Northeast Corridor over the coming years. In Britain, High-Speed Trains aren't as quick as many other nations. Here a Class 43 HST arrives at Castle Cary, Somerset on its way to London. Photo by Joe Rogers.

Perhaps surprisingly, trains in the United Kingdom, where the passenger railway revolution began in 1825, have rarely reached the dazzling speeds seen by those in Europe and Asia. Much was made of the Class 43 HST, better known as the Intercity 125, when it was launched in 1976 due to its ability to carry passengers at 125mph and though it remains in service as the world's fastest diesel locomotive, it has since been passed by those assisted with electrification. Currently, the fastest service in the UK is provided by the Javelin Class 395 sets on the High-Speed 1 route from London to the Channel Tunnel. These Hitachi trains can reach 140mph and though other Hitachi-made units feature elsewhere on the UK network (Class 800), only those on High-Speed 1 are permitted to do so, as others are limited to a line speed of 125mph. As a result, despite its history, the UK has arguably some of the slowest high-speed trains in the world.

What's the quickest you've ever travelled by train? Let us know on social media! You can also submit your own railfan features and photos via our submission form.