Extreme Speed! Meet the fastest trains in the world

High-speed rail has become a mainstay in many nations around the world but they're still lacking in places like North America. Very fast trains have started to make a breakthrough in Canada and the United States, yet this technology has really advanced in Europe and Asia.

The evolution of high-speed rail is currently reshaping the transportation industry across several countries according to Railway Technology, which noted that high-speed rail is a greener option that offers an alternative to aviation. 

“Now, it is even becoming a competitor in price, with budget-high-speed rail options appearing in Europe. Germany, Italy, France, Spain, China, and Japan boast extensive high-speed rail networks,” Railway Technologies wrote. 

High-speed railways are also encouraging more economic growth and reducing travel times, which may be why Railway Technology wrote up a list of the top ten high-speed trains in the world. 

The fastest high-speed trains today can travel at speeds that almost seem impossible. Let's take a look at the fastest trains in the world, you might be surprised by just how quickly some of these trains can travel.

Country: Italy

Top Speed: 300km/h (186mph)

Record speed: 389km/h (241mph)

Country: Korea

Top Speed: 305km/h (189mph)

Record speed: 352.4km/h (218mph)

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Minseong Kim - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Country: Spain

Top Speed: 310km/h (192mph)

Record speed: 403.7km/h (250mph)

Country: Morocco

Top Speed: 320km/h (198mph)

Record speed: 357km/h (221mph)

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By NicholasNCE - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Country: Japan

Top Speed: 320km/h (198mph)

Record speed: 443km/h (275mph)

Country: France

Top Speed: 320km/h (198mph)

Record speed: 574.8km/h (356mph)

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Poudou99, Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Country: Germany

Top Speed: 350km/h (217mph)

Record speed: 368km/h (228mph)

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Håkan Dahlström, CC BY 2.0

Country: China

Top Speed: 350km/h (217mph)

Record speed: 420km/h (260mph)

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By N509FZ - Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Country: China

Top Speed: 350km/h (217mph)

Record speed: 486.1km/h (302mph)

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By A1AA1A - Own Work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Country: China

Top Speed: 460km/h (285mph)

Record speed: 501km/h (311mph)

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By User Alex Needham, Public Domain

High-speed rail isn’t just for the old world either. North America will soon be getting what Brightline West called the continent’s “first true high-speed rail system” according to Newsweek in the form of the 218-mile or roughly 135-kilometer Brightline West line.

In January 2024, Brightline West broke ground on the project and high-speed rail project that will connect Los Angeles to Las Vegas. 

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