The most superfast trains in the world

Updated on September 13, 2022 18:37 PM by Sally Harbor

Flights seem like the easiest mode of transport for us, don’t they?? But the fact is, trains are as good as flights and fast as them. The modern trains built are no lesser than flights regarding speed and comfort.

The headlines these days are even claiming that Japan’s L0 Maglev, which will run between Tokyo and Nagoya, will be the fastest train ever, with a 313 mph average speed that cuts the time it takes to travel between the cities by half. Still, it's not scheduled to start functioning until 2027.

However, there are trains which are superfast and are in function which can take you to places in no time. So here is a list of the fastest trains in the world which will make your travel experience more intriguing and faster.

Shanghai Maglev

The world’s fastest train called the Shanghai Maglev, which runs 268 mph, is not the newest, shiniest, or even with the most expensive tickets as it should be. Rather the train ticket costs 50 yuan, up to $8 per person, and double the price of the VIP ticket.

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The Maglev runs nearly 19 miles from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport to the Longyang metro station on the outskirts of Shanghai.

This superfast train takes just over seven minutes to complete the journey but does not go to the city's center. Since the train's debut in 2004, the train has made thousands of passengers reach their destination in a short while.

Fuxing Hao CR400AF/BF

You will often find China in this list because that country has some of the fastest-running trains. Fuxing Hao CR400AF/BF: 249 mph is also the country’s longest-running train which is not a Maglev.

The name of the train, which is “Fuxing Hao”, translates to “rejuvenation,” and also each of these trains has been given the nickname CR400/AF which stands for “Dolphin Blue.”

The CR400BF is called the "Golden Phoenix'' because these names are easier for the passengers to remember than those of the complicated train numbers. And if you are wondering, what the CR is, it stands for China Railway in short.

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Both of these trains take less than five hours to bring up to 556 passengers between Beijing South and Shanghai Hongqiao Station, which easily reduces the nearly 10-hour time by half which is usually required to ride the conventional with a parallel rail line between these two megalopolises.

The service of these trains has been expanded widely since their debut with newer routes including Jinan-Qingdao and Guangzhou-Zhuhai, and a 2018 debut of what remains the world’s longest high-speed rail route, from Beijing to Hong Kong in nine hours.

Harmony CRH 380A

When we told you that China has a lot of positions on this list, we meant it. The train Harmony CRH 380A is one of the fastest-running trains in China and marks itself as the third fastest when it comes to all the trains belonging to China. This train runs up to 380kmph, which brings it to 236 mph.

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The electric multiple units (MPU) of the train set a record by speeding at 486.1kmph during its trial on the Shanghai-Hangzhou intercity high-speed railway in December 2010, which marks it one of the fastest ones in the world.

The CRH 380A came into operation in October 2010. It runs from Beijing to Shanghai and provides daily service along the Wuhan to Guangzhou route.

The train is vibration-free, making it all the more comfortable, and was constructed by CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock. Its high design speed is a result of research carried out at various Chinese universities and industries.

AGV Italo

The AGV Italo is the first train from the AGV series which came into service in 2012. The train has a maximum running speed of 360kmph. The train has a traction system that also broke a record with a speed of 574.8kmph in April 2007.

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The AGV Italo is considered to be the most modern train in Europe, with all the comfortable facilities. This train was built in Alstom and it currently runs among Napoli, Roma, Firenze, Bologna, and Milano corridors.

The train complies with the European TSI operability standard, which includes safety, reliability and availability, health, environmental protection, and technical compatibility, which makes it one of the best-serving trains in Europe.

Talgo 350

Earlier known as RENFE AVE Class 10 achieved a maximum speed of 365kmph during its trial run but the train now marks around 350kmph when it comes to speed. This high-speed running train was developed by Patentes and manufactured by Patentes Talgo in collaboration with Bombardier Transportation.

The train is also highly known as El Pato which stands for the duck in the Spanish language. Talgo 350 has been operating on the Madrid-Zaragoza-Lleida section of the Madrid, Barcelona line in Spain since 2005. There are currently more than 46 operating trains of the same series in the country.

E5 Series Shinkansen Hayabusa

The E5 Series Shinkansen Hayabusa entered the list of fastest trains with an initial speed of 300kmph and now runs on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line with a maximum speed of 320kmph.

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The train is currently the fastest-running train in Japan and achieved around 400kmph during its trial run, making it one of the fastest in the world. This train was manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industry (KHI) and Hitachi, while East Japan Railway Company is the operator of it.

The train has a full active suspension (FSA) system feature, which limits the train's vibration, and a 15m long nose, which reduces the sound blast in tunnels.

Alstom Euroduplex

Euroduplex built by the company Alstom is the third generation of TGV Duplex, which entered service in December 2011. The trains in the series are touted to be the only double-decker, interoperable high-speed trains capable of running on European networks at 320kmph.

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The Euroduplex was firstly introduced on the Rhine-Rhone LGV high-speed rail line. This train is capable of taking 1,020 passengers to their destined destinations when compared to TGV Duplex, which transports about 512 passengers.

The Euroduplex trains operate on French, German, Swiss, and Luxembourgish rail networks. The trains also had traction systems that adapt to different electric currents used across Europe.

THSR 700T

The THSR 700T runs on the high-speed line between Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan. The train entered into service on Taiwan High-Speed Rail in January of 2007. The train operates at a high speed of 300kmph, which reduces the journey time between the two cities from four hours to just 90 minutes.

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The train was constructed by Kawasaki, Hitachi, and Nippon Sharyo. Based on Kawasaki’s 700 series Shinkansen trains, the 700T was the first Taiwanese rolling stock to import Japanese high-speed rail technology.

The total investment for manufacturing the initial 30 trains in the series reached about NT$100bn.

TGV Duplex

TGV Duplex was constructed between 1996 to 2004; they are operated by SNCF and were manufactured by the company Alstom and Bombardier. The train can reach a maximum speed of 300kmph to 320kmph.

The TGV Duplex is Alstom’s first third-generation double-decker/duplex train. It has a seating space sufficient for 512 passengers on its upper and lower decks. The train is constructed of aluminum to reduce weight.

The trains in the TGV Duplex series mainly run on the TGV Méditerranée line between Paris and Marseille. More than 450 TGV series trains are currently serving 230 destinations.

Siemens Velaro E/AVS 103

The Velaro E, also known as AVE S 103, operates in Spain and is the fastest high-speed train in the world in this series. It had a whopping speed of about 400kmph during its test trips in Spain.

But the train possesses an operational speed of 350kmph.

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The train was ordered by Spanish National Railways Renfe and operates on the Barcelona-Madrid line. It was finally delivered in July 2005 and began its service in June 2007.

Shinkansen H5 and E5

The pioneers of the bullet trains, Japan debuted the Hikari high-speed train way back in 1964 which offers its service servic between Tokyo and Osaka.

The speed of the train cut the travel time between the country's two largest cities from nearly seven hours to a mere four by rail, which is the reason why it is one of the fastest trains in the world currently.

The H5 and E5 series Shinkansen run with a speed of 224mph, respectively, and flows between the Tohoku and Hokkaido services, and are two of the newer bullet trains on Japan's tracks. The trains are also expected to make their international debut on India’s first high-speed rail line, connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad, in 2026.

The Italo and Frecciarossa

Italy’s dual train operators, NTV and Terentalitia, each flaunt a high-speed train that ties as Europe’s fastest, capable of shifting passengers around much of the country much faster than by car.

The international route between Milan and Paris which takes six hours has become so popular among travelers and the locals that it has doubled rather than tripled Trenitalia’s daily frequencies.

The Frecciarossa also called the “red arrow” was unveiled during the 2015 Expo which was held in Milan. The train has made a remarkable place for itself because of the high speed that it offers along with construction, and the best part is that its components are nearly 100 percent renewable and sustainable.

Both the trains Italo and Frecciarossa run at a speed of 220mph.