Top 10 Fastest Trains In The World

                        Top 10 Fastest Trains In The World

                                                                               
    Top 10 Fastest Trains In The World: When Englishman 'Richard Tevithick' launched the first practical steam locomotive in 1804, used to haul iron from Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynon, Wales. It averaged less than 10 mph. Today, several high-speed rail lines are regularly travelling 30 times as fast.

   Europeans and Asians currently operate the fastest high speed trains in the world, regularly commuting on trains such as the Shanghai Maglev and Harmony CRH 380A. While these two currently hold all the records, other fast trains, such as the HEMU-400X, Zefiro 380 and Talgo Avril, are close contenders for the crown of world's fastest trains. Railway-technology.com lists the top ten fastest trains currently in service.

TOP 10 FASTEST TRAINS IN THE WORLD

(1) SHANGHAI MAGLEV, 267.8mph(miles per hour) ,CHINA:

  Shanghai maglev tops the list with its maximum operational speed of 430 kilometre per hour and average speed of 251 kilometre per hour. The Maglev started commercial operations in April 2004.
   It runs on the 30.5 kilometres Shanghai Maglev line which is the first commercially operated high speed magnetic levitation line,extending from Longyang road station of Metro line 2 and ending at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
    Shanghai Maglev is owned and operated by Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co.(SMTDC). The train was constructed by a joint venture of Siemens and ThyssenKrupp.

(2) HARMONY CRH 380 A, 236.13 mph, CHINA:

  China Railways Harmony CRH 380A is the second fastest operating train service in the world. In commercial service this electric multiple United trains can achieve a maximum speed of 230 6.1 to metre per hour. But it sets record of 250 8.258 metres per hour during initial tests taste. In October 2010 the China Railways put CRH 380A trains in to regular service between Shanghai nanjing route.

(3) AGV ITALO, 223.6 mph , ITALY:

     AGV Italo is the first train in the AGV Series which entered into service in April 2012. It has a maximum operational speed of 360kmph.

    The train is fitted with traction system that broke a record speed of 574.8kmph in April 2007.

    Considered to be the most modern train in Europe, AGV Italo was built by Alstom. The train currently runs on the Napoli - Roma - Firenze - Bologna - Milano corridor.

   The train complies with the European TSI interoperability standard, which includes safety, reliability and availability, health, environmental protection and technical compatibility.

(4) SIEMENS VIRALO E/AVS 103, 217.4 mph, SPAIN:

    Velaro E is the Spanish version of Velaro E high-speed trains developed by German engineering company Siemens. In Spain, Velaro trains named as AVS 103. The Velaro E operates between Barcelona and Madrid.

    Velaro E runs at a maximum speed of 217.4 mph. Velaro E trains can take passengers from Barcelona to Madrid in just 2 hours and 30 minutes. During trials, the Velaro E achieved a top speed of 250.84 mph.

    The Spanish National Railways ordered the high-speed Velaro E trains in 2001. They began this high-speed train service in June 2007. Velaro E has eight passenger cars and a seating capacity of 404.

(5) TALGO 350, 217.4 mph, SPAIN:

    Spain’s Talgo 350 high-speed train operated by the state-run railway company. This high-speed train can achieve a maximum speed of 217.4 mph. The Talgo 350 runs between Madrid and Barcelona.

    This train has two driving cars and 12 passenger cars. It is also known as ‘Pato’ in Spain, named after its duck beak like the nose of the front car. This distinctive design of Talgo 350 is optimized to handle pressure waves.

    The seating facilities in Talgo 350 trains divided into four classes – Club class, First class, Bistro class, and Coach class. All class in Talgo 350 features comfortable reclining seats with footrests. The passengers also have access to video, audio devices at each seat. There are also real-time information panels on both inside and outside of car sets.

(6) E5 SERIES SHINKANSEN HAYABUSA, 198.8 mph, JAPAN:

    E5 Series Shinkansen Hayabusa trains, which entered service in March 2011, with an initial maximum speed of 300km now run on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line with a maximum operating speed of 320kmph.

    Currently the fastest in Japan, the train achieved a speed of about 400kmph during trials.

   The train was manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industry (KHI) and Hitachi, while East Japan Railway Company (JR East) is the operator.

    The train features full active suspension (FSA) system, which reduces the vibration of the moving bogies, and a 15m long nose which reduces the sound blast in tunnels.

(7) ALSTOM EURODUPLEX, 198.8mph, FRANCE:

    Euroduplex trains are the third series of TGV duplex high-speed trains. The French railway company SNCF operates the Euroduplex train service.
    This service connects French, Swiss, German and Luxembourg rail network. This multi-system, double deck rains can travel at a maximum speed of 198.8 mph.

    Euroduplex trains started the service in December 2011. This train can transport 1020 passengers at a time. The Alstom railway company designs the Euroduplex trains.

    Unlike the previous two generations, the Euroduplex trains are less in weight and have much-improved aerodynamics. It ensures low power consumption. Euroduplex trains also have real-time travel information screen near the door and inside the car set.

(8) SNCF TGV DEPLEX, 198.8mph, FRANCE:

    TGV Duplex was manufactured from 1996-2004. They are operated by SNCF and were manufactured by Alstom and Bombardier. The trains can reach maximum speeds of 300kmph to 320kmph.

    TGV Duplex is Alstom's first third-generation double-decker/duplex train. It provides a seating space for 512 passengers in 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.

(9) ETR 500 FRECCIAROSSA, 186.4 mph, ITALY:

    Elettro Treno Rapido 500 (ETR 500) Frecciarossa trains entered into service in 2008. The trains are designed for a maximum speed of 360kmph and currently run at 300kmph on high-speed lines.

    The Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) is a renovated version of the ETR 500. The renovated trains operate between Rome and Milan.

    The cars are equipped with climate control and sound insulation, and feature ergonomic seats to provide maximum comfort.

    The trains in the fleet are operated by Trenitalia and manufactured by TREno Veloce Italiano (TREVI), a consortium of Alstom, Bombardier and AnsaldoBreda.

(10) THSR 700T, 186.4 mph, TAIWAN:

    THSR 700T is a series of Taiwanese high-speed multiple unit trains. This service started on 5th January 2007 between Taipei City and Kaohsiung. At the top speed of 186.4 mph.  THSR 700T could shorten the journey time between these cities from four and a half hours to just 90 minutes.

    A 700T train has 12 car sets in total. It features a multi-engine system and 9 out of 12 cars provides power for the train. What it offers are the speed and space.

    700T trains are built in Japan by the consortium of three major companies – Kawasaki heavy industries, Nippon Sharyo, and Hitachi. The powerful motors in 700T provide an acceleration from 0 -186.4 mph in just 15 minutes.

    The business class cabin in 700T can seat 66 passengers, and standard class offers 923 seats.


      CONCLUSION: Trains are much safer and comfortable to travel if we compare them with road vehicles, passenger planes or cruises. But what if you want to travel long distances with a minimum amount of journey time conventional trains have limitations in terms of speed.

To solve this issue, the speed of this type of railway technology has drastically improved.