High-speed railways combine both speed and efficiency. From the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan to the French TGV, high-speed trains have a history that spans several decades
Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000: 300km/h (Italy) Italian state railway operator Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa, or ETR1000, was co-developed as a joint venture between Hitachi Rail Italy and Alstom
Korail KTX-Sancheon: 305km/h (Korea) South Korea’s national railway operator, Korail, runs the country’s high-speed rail service. Korea Train Express, more commonly known as KTX, began operation in 2004
Renfe AVE 103: 310km/h (Spain) The Renfe Class 103 is a high-speed train that Spanish state-run operator Renfe uses for its AVE high-speed service. The trains, also known as Series 103 or S103, are manufactured by Siemens as part of the Velaro family
ONCF Al Boraq: 320km/h (Morocco) The trains running on Africa’s first high-speed railway, Al Boraq in Morocco, come in at number seven on our list
JR Shinkansen: 320km/h (Japan) Recognised the world over, the Shinkansen, colloquially known as the bullet train, is a Japanese star. But surprisingly, the original high-speed train doesn’t break into the top five
SCNCF TGV: 320km/h (France) The Train à Grande Vitesse, or TGV, is iconic. Initially running on Europe’s first high-speed railway in France, the pioneer of high-speed rail in Europe has broken records for top speeds, repeatedly, since its inception
DB ICE: 350km/h (Germany) The ICE 3, or Intercity-Express 3, is a family of high-speed electric multiple-unit trains manufactured by Siemens and Bombardier. The ICE 3 is operated mainly by Deutsche Bahn (DB), but also by Dutch Railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
CR Fuxing: 350km/h (China) The China Railway (CR) Fuxing, also known as the CR series EMU, is a series of high-speed trains. Developed by China Railway Corporation, Fuxing trains operate at 350km/h but have been run as high as 420km/h in tests
CR Harmony: 350km/h (China) The China Railway (CR) Hexie, also known as the Harmony, is an umbrella term for the CRH series EMU high-speed trains. They operate at the same speed as the Fuxing trains, with a top operating speed of 350km/h
Shanghai Maglev: 460km/h (China) The Shanghai Maglev, also known as the Shanghai Transrapid, tops the list with its maximum operating speed of 460km/h and average speed of 251km/h. It has a record high-speed of a staggering 501km/h