Trains are considered as a more economic, convenient, and safer means to travel as compared to planes and cruises. With the advancement in technology, many bullet trains are introduced in various parts of the world. They are also time-saving as they can cover long distances in a few hours. Generally, a train is considered a super-fast or a high-speed train when it can travel at least at the speed of 200 km/h or 125mph. The first bullet train was introduced in Japan Tokaido Shinkansen line in the year 1964. However, China has taken the lead in developing the maximum number of high-speed trains. China not only has the most developed rail networks but also maintains a very low accident record. Below given are the top 10 fastest trains in the world today.
- L0 Series Maglev
The L0 or L zero series is a high-speed train between Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. It is being developed and tested by the JR Central or the Central Japan Railway Company. It is a maglev train that uses two sets of magnets for transportation. It is manufactured by Mitsubishi Industries, Nippon Sharyo, and Hitachi Ltd. It is also ranked as the fastest bullet train in the world in 2022. It can travel at a speed of 602 km/h or 374 mph. It can cover the distance between Tokyo and Osaka in about 1 hour 8 minutes.
- CRRC Qingdao Sifang Maglev
The China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) introduced a high-speed maglev train in Qingdao, China. It is one of the fastest land vehicles developed by China. It is an achievement for the country in the field of technology and science. The train can travel from Shenzhen to Shanghai in only 2.5 hours. It is driven through an electromagnetic force and can travel up to the speed of 600 km/h or 374 mph.
- TGV POS
TGV stands for Train a Grande Vitesse which means high-speed train in French. The high-speed rail service is operated by a national state-owned railway company of France known as SNCF. The TGV started focusing on electric trains after the first oil crisis in 1973. In 2007, a TGV train was mentioned in the world record when it was running on a track of 140km. The train can go up to the speed of 574 km/h or 357 mph. The TGV system is present in neighboring countries of France like Italy, Belgium, and Germany.
- CRH 380A Hexie
The CRH series also known as Hexie or Hexie Hao is a term used for the high-speed trains of the China Railway. They are usually developed on foreign technology, manufactured in the country. It generally travels at the speed of 350 km/h or 217mph and can go up to the speed of 380 km/h or 236mph. Out of the four trains of the Chinese series, CRH 380A is the only train that is not based on foreign technology. It is being introduced to the latest constructed main rail lines. It is one of the longest trains that can travel at such a high speed. The recorded high speed of the train is around 468 km/h.
- Shanghai Maglev
The Shanghai Maglev is operated by Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development since 2004. It is one of the fastest commercial trains in the world. It is also the oldest magnetic levitation train still in working. It can travel at the speed of 431 km/h or 268mph. The technological idea was given by Germany and it took around 2.5 years for the project’s completion. It takes about two minutes for the train to reach 350km/h or 217 mph.
- HEMU 430X
The High-Speed Electrical Multiple Unit eXperimental train of South Korea can go up to the speed of 430 km/h or 267 mph. It is listed among the fastest bullet trains in the world also. After the success of the test run of the train South Korea is one of the countries to develop one of the fastest trains. It is manufactured by Hyundai Rotem which is a part of the Hyundai Motor Group. It is operated by the national railway operator of South Korea, the Korean Railroad Corporation.
- Fuxing Hao
The series of the train is an Electric Multiple Unit train operated by the China Railway Corporation and developed by the CRRC Corporation Limited. It can operate at a speed of 418 km/h or 260 mph. It is known as one of the fastest trains in the world. The Fuxing got its name in June 2017 and has nicknames like Blue Dolphin and Golden Phoenix. Usually, it operates at a speed of 350 km/h or 220 mph.
- Frecciarossa 1000
The Frecciarossa 1000 or the ETR 1000 is built at Hitachi Rail, Pistoia, Italy. It is operated by Trenitalia, the primary train operator of Italy. It was a joint venture of the Italian Rail manufacturer, Hitachi Rail and a transport manufacturing company Bombardier Transportation. It is one of the fastest trains in the world in the year 2022. Its design was similar to that of existing products and later was changed according to the needs. A total of 50 are built until now since 2017.
- Siemens Velaro
It is a series of electric multiple units or EMU built by Siemens Mobility, a company of Siemens. It is used in various countries like the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, and many others. The high-speed train is manufactured for Deutsche Bahn or (DB). The speed of Siemens Velaro can go up to 403 km/h or 250 mph. Its name is also mentioned in the list of fastest trains in the world.
- AGV Italo
The AGV Italo is also known as the Ferrari of the Tracks. It is known to be one of the fastest trains in Europe. The high-speed train is an electric multiple unit train that uses electricity for power. It is designed and manufactured by Alstom SA. It can go up to the speed of 360 km/h and generally travels at the speed of 320 km/h. Initially, the train service started in Naples and Milan, later extended to Turin and Venice also.
