High speed train movement. The most famous high-speed trains in the world

30.09.2019

Japan

1. The Japanese were the first to tackle the problem of modernizing their railways. This happened at the end of the 50s of the last century. This was a necessary event in the run-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Because Japanese roads were archaic. The gauge was only 1067 mm, the tracks were worn out, and the locomotive fleet was outdated.

In record time, in 5.5 years, the Japanese built the broad-gauge 552-kilometer Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo and Osaka. Here, for the first time in the world, technologies for seamless laying of rails were used: they are soldered into kilometer-long strings and in this form are delivered on a platform to the laying site. The geometry of the joints of these lashes is such that temperature changes do not lead to the formation of gaps between them.

2. Naturally, there are no crossings on the line, for which more than a hundred bridges and tunnels had to be built. It was used fundamentally on the Shinkansen the new kind trains that light hand was nicknamed the “bullet train” by journalists. The bullet train does not have a locomotive: an engine is mounted on each wheel axle, which allows for a significant increase in power.

In 1964, trains ran between Tokyo and Osaka at a speed of 210 km/h. Now the Nozomi N-700 electric train flies 552 km in 2 hours 25 minutes, reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h. Currently, the Shinkansen, which connects everything big cities Japan is the most popular view transport. Over the 50 years of operation, Shinkansen trains, running every morning and evening every six minutes, have carried almost 7 billion passengers.

France

3. Europe responded to the Japanese railway breakthrough with a significant delay. This is partly due to the fact that European designers experimented with great enthusiasm in the 1950s and 60s with hovercraft and maglev, the name for magnetic levitation trains.

The decision to create a high-speed line similar to the Japanese one was made in France in the second half of the 1960s. National Society It took the French railways fifteen years to develop and launch the Paris-Lyon line, which was called TGV (train a` grande vitesse - high-speed train). Creating the route, although expensive, did not cause any particular problems for the engineers. It was more difficult to design the train itself. And then the global economic situation unexpectedly intervened in the plans of the designers. The fact is that at the first stage it was decided to use a gas turbine unit as the locomotive engine. In 1971, the TGV-001 turbo train was successfully tested, demonstrating excellent performance. It reached a speed of 318 km/h, which still remains a world record for trains without electric traction. However, the energy crisis that occurred in 1973 forced the SNCF management to abandon the use of sharply increased fuel in TGVs. There has been a reorientation towards the use of less expensive electricity produced at French nuclear power plants.

4. In the end, by 1980 the Paris-Lyon line was also ready. The electric locomotive and cars were produced by Alstom. On September 27, 1981 the line was put into operation. The train covered the distance between the two French cities in 2 hours, moving at a speed of 260 km/h. Now the speed on TGV lines covering Europe reaches 350 km/h. As for the average speed, it is 263.3 km/h. At the same time, rolling stock is constantly being modernized and new models are being created. On April 3, 2007, the new shortened TGV POS train reached a speed of 574.8 km/h on the new 106 km LGV EST line connecting Paris with Lorraine. This is an absolute record on a rail railway. At the same time, the braking distance was 32 km.

TGV POS type trains running in France, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg are reminiscent of Russian electric trains. They have two head motor cars, between which there are eight intermediate trailers. Number of places - 377.

5. Special requirements are imposed on high-speed routes in addition to the seamless connection of rails. The turning radius is at least 4000 m. The center-to-center distances of adjacent tracks are at least 4.5 m, which reduces the aerodynamic effect when passing two oncoming trains, the relative speed of which can reach 700 km/h. The tunnels through which the track passes are specially designed to minimize aerodynamic impact when entering and exiting the tunnel. Used special system alarm on the driver's dashboard and automatic braking is provided in case the driver does not react quickly enough. The paths are securely fenced to prevent collisions with animals. To prevent the pantograph from catching up with the wave running from it along the contact wire, the wire has greater tension than on conventional lines. On TGV lines there is a speed limit, not at the top, but at the bottom. This is required to ensure that slow moving vehicles do not reduce the capacity of high-speed lines.

6. Oddly enough, there are no truly high-speed lines in the USA. Despite the fact that the trains traveling on the Washington-Baltimore-Philadelphia-New York-Boston route are manufactured by the French company Alstom. Maximum speed trains in regular passenger traffic is 241 km/h. The route speed is lower: when traveling from end to end along the entire 735-kilometer route, it is 110 km/h. This is explained by the fact that high-speed French trains are forced to “drag” along the old track.

True, in 2013, construction began on a classic high-speed line between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is scheduled to be operational in 2020, and TGV POS will be able to demonstrate everything they can do on it.

Germany

7. Intercity-Express - a network of high-speed trains, mainly distributed in Germany, developed by Deutsche Bahn. Modern generation Intercity-Express trains, ICE 3, were developed by a consortium of Siemens AG and Bombardier under the overall leadership of Siemens AG. The maximum speed of ICE trains on specially built sections of the railway network is 320 km/h. On standard sections of the network, ICE speed averages 160 km/h. The length of the sections where ICE can reach speeds of more than 230 km/h is 1200 km.

ICE is the main type of train on long-distance directions provided by German Railways (Deutsche Bahn). They provide both maximum speed and maximum travel comfort. ICE became the basis for the development by Siemens AG of its family of high-speed trains under the general Siemens Velaro brand. Velaro projects have been implemented, in particular, in Spain and China. These trains are also supplied to Russia for use on the Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - high-speed lines. Nizhny Novgorod.

Russia

8. The Moscow-St. Petersburg route, along which the Sapsan train travels, should be considered a conditionally high-speed route, since for the most part it is a slightly modernized legacy of the Soviet track system. In this connection, the train manufactured by the German company Siemens, capable of reaching speeds of up to 350 km/h, reaches 250 km/h in only one section. The average speed is 140 km/h.

By 2017, it is planned to make the route completely expressway. And then travel between the two capitals will be reduced from 4 hours to 2.

However, Russian Railways still set a record on this line. The contract amount for the purchase and operation of 8 trains exceeded 600 million euros. Purchasing the same number of fourth-generation fighters would be cheaper. Quite an expensive pleasure, allowing the “St. Petersburg” residents to visit their native land on the weekend.

China

China's expressways and high-speed roads include modernized conventional railway lines, new lines built specifically for high-speed trains, and the world's first commercial maglev train lines. As of December 2013, the total length of such roads in China was more than 14,400 km, including sections 7,268 km long, with a maximum train speed of 350 km/h.

China is currently experiencing a boom in high-speed rail construction. With government support and special incentives, the total length of the high-speed rail network is expected to reach 18,000 km by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan in 2015.

In technological terms, the organization of high-speed rail traffic occurs through technology transfer agreements from reputable foreign manufacturers such as Bombardier, Alstom, and Kawasaki. By adopting foreign technologies, China strives to make its own developments based on them. An example is the development of the record-breaking CRH-380A series trains for China's high-speed roads, about 500 km/h, manufactured in China and reaching speeds in excess of 350 km/h, which have been in operation since 2010. It is also reported that new train Beijing - Shanghai will be developed by the Chinese company Shagun Rail Wheels and launched before 2012.

Eastern Maglev

10. Magnetic levitation (maglev) trains can conditionally be classified as railway transport, although they hover above the track at a distance of 1.5 centimeters. In this class of express trains, the speed record is 581 km/h. It was installed in 2003 by the maglev MLX01 of the Railway Technical Research Institute of Japan at the test site. It is still not known about the timing of the introduction of the Japanese maglev into commercial operation. However, the trains are already flying reliably and without accidents, and residents of surrounding towns and villages are already taking them for rides on holidays.

11. Since 2002, a Chinese 30-kilometer high-speed line has been operating, connecting Shanghai with Padong Airport. This road uses a monorail, over which, after acceleration, the train hovers at a distance of 1.5 cm. The speed of the Shanghai maglev, built by the German company Transrapid (a subsidiary of Siemens AG and ThyssenKrupp), is 450 km/h.

In the foreseeable future, the Shanghai line will be extended to the city of Hangzhou, and its length will be 175 km.

Reading time: 6 min.

The railway appeared many hundreds of years ago. There has been an evolution from heavy, clumsy trolleys to super high-speed express trains that cross vast distances in a matter of hours, due to magnetic levitation, which will surprise few people. This list includes the fastest trains that reach breakneck speed and work like clockwork.

Speed - 315 km/h
The development of this train was carried out according to the diagrams and drawings of the Shinkansen train, which originated in Japan. THSR 700T is located in Taiwan, its speed is from 300 to 315 kilometers per hour, it operates on the route north of Taipei - south of Kaohsiung. It has a dozen comfortable carriages and in total it can accommodate about 1000 people. In 2005, he reached his highest speed - 315 km/h.

Speed - 320 km/h
This type of high-speed trains is widespread on the German railway, as well as in a number of neighboring countries. On the road from Strasbourg to Paris, InterCity Express accelerates to 320 km/h. These are long-distance trains distributed throughout Germany. Now this type of trains has been purchased by Russia, where they operate on routes from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod and from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

Speed - 334.7 km/h
Designed in the UK, the TVG high-speed train crosses the UK, Belgium and France through the Channel Tunnel (which has the second longest track in the world). The train seats nine hundred people and travels at a typical speed of 300/h. and the speed record of this train occurred in 2003 and is equal to 334.7 km/h. To get from London to Paris, you just need to take a Eurostar ticket and you'll be there in less than two and a half hours.

Speed - 352 km/h
This train has another name, it is known as KTX II, its first appearance in South Korea was recorded in 2009. Created by Hyundai Rotem, based on the design of the French TGV train, it belongs to Korail (the national railway operator of South Korea). Although this train can reach the stated speed of 352 km/h, which was reached in 2004, for safety reasons its speed does not exceed 305 km/h. The train's comfortable carriages accommodate 363 people, and it travels on two routes: Yongsan - Gwangju - Mokpo and Seoul - Busan.

Speed - 362 km/h
This electric train was released in Italy a quarter of a century ago, today its speed is 300 km/h, the official record was set in 2010 between Florence and Bologna and is equal to 362 km/h. It takes him just under an hour to get from Bologna to Milan. Three years ago, several ETR-1000 trains were supposed to be released, the maximum speed of which should have reached 400 km/h, but the release was delayed due to lack of funding.

AVE Talgo-350

Speed - 365 km/h
AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) is a trademark of the Spanish Railways operator Renfe-Operador. This abbreviation AVE also means "bird" in Spanish. Each train of this class is high-speed, but the AVE Talgo-350 will be of interest to us, its capacity is 320 people. It reaches speeds of up to 330 km/h, traveling from Madrid to Valladolid and from Madrid to Barcelona. In 2004, during an experiment, he was able to accelerate to 365 km/h. Due to its design, this electric train is nicknamed Pato ("duck").

Speed - 486.1 km/h
The maximum speed for this Chinese train, according to all documents, is 380 km/h, but as it turned out, this is not the limit and it was able to reach a speed of 486.1 km/h. CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company - this is the company that produces these super high speed trains. The 8 carriages of this luxurious train are decorated in an airplane style and can accommodate about 500 people. This train first appeared on the rails in 2010 and followed the Shanghai-Nanjing route. Then two more routes were added: Wuhan - Guangzhou and Shanghai - Hangzhou.

Speed - 501 km/h
The Shanghai Maglev is a Chinese-made bullet train that runs on magnetic levitation. It was first seen in Shanghai in 2004. The average speed is 431 km/h, making the journey from the city center to the airport (30 kilometers) a five-minute drive. On November 12, 2003, an amazing event took place - the Shanghai Maglev Train reached a speed of more than five hundred kilometers per hour. The most interesting thing is that this train was developed not entirely by the Chinese, but by the Germans. Transrapid SMT is the model that served as the prototype for this train.

Speed - 574.8 km/h
TVG are French trains that travel between France and Switzerland and France and Germany. Their average speed is 320 km/h. Despite this, the TGV POS model broke all speed records among trains that run on rails, it accelerated to 574.8 km/h in 2007.

Speed - 581 km/h
The name of these trains comes from a Japanese word that means "new highway". These trains received another nickname - “bullet”, they hold the absolute world record for trains that ran with magnetic suspension - 581 km/h, on rails the result is more modest, but still impressive - 443 km/h. The journey between Osaka and Tokyo with such a high-speed train will take only two and a half hours. In addition to the fact that these are the fastest trains in the world, they are also the safest; in more than four decades of operation, not a single accident has occurred.

Hundreds of years have passed since the invention of the railway. Railway transport has overcome a long evolutionary path of development from manually pulling massive trolleys to modern super high-speed express trains operating on the principle of magnetic levitation, which have already become commonplace in many countries of the world. This selection will feature the fastest trains that can reach speeds of at least 300 km per hour.

11th place. HSL 1 (High-Speed Line 1) - speed 300 km/h

HSL 1 is a Belgian high-speed electric train of the TGV series (Train à Grande Vitesse - "high-speed train" in French), whose operating speed is 300 km/h, runs on a high-speed railway line connecting Brussels with the French railway line LGV Nord. It was put into operation in December 1997.

10th place. THSR 700T - speed 300 - 315 km/h

THSR 700T is a high speed train on the island of Taiwan, developed from Japanese Shinkansen trains. The train, which has a maximum operating speed of 300 km/h, connects northern Taipei and southern Kaohsiung. It consists of 12 comfortable carriages and can accommodate 989 passengers. The speed record for this train was set in 2005 and is 315 km/h.

9th place. InterCity Express (ICE) - speed 320 km/h

ICE - high-speed trains common in Germany and neighboring countries. On the Strasbourg-Paris line, InterCity Express reaches speeds of up to 320 km/h. Today, ICEs are the main long-distance train type offered by German Railways. These trains are also supplied to Russia, where they are used on the Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow - St. Petersburg high-speed railway lines.

8th place. Eurostar - speed 300 - 334.7 km/h

Eurostar or British Rail Class 373 is a British TVG series high-speed electric train operating between the UK, Belgium and France through the Channel Tunnel, which is the second longest railway tunnel in the world. The train's capacity is 900 passengers, its operating speed reaches 300 km/h, and the speed record for this train was set in 2003 and is equal to 334.7 km/h. The journey from London to Paris by Eurostar takes 2 hours 16 minutes.

7th place. KTX Sancheon - speed 305 - 352 km/h

Sancheon, formerly known as KTX II, entered service in South Korea in 2009. It was built by Hyundai Rotem based on technology from French TGV trains and is owned by Korail, the national railway operator of South Korea. Although it can reach speeds of up to 352 km/h (the record was set in 2004), for safety reasons it does not go faster than 305 km/h. The comfortable train with a capacity of 363 passengers operates on the route Yongsan - Gwangju - Mokpo and Seoul - Busan.

6th place. ETR-500 (Elettro Treno Rapido 500) - speed 300 - 362 km/h

For the ETR-500 electric train, released in Italy in 1993, the operating speed reaches 300 km/h, and the speed record was set in 2009 in the tunnel between Bologna and Florence and is 362 km/h. The train covers the distance from the center of Bologna to Milan in 56 minutes. The release of six ETR-1000 trains is planned for 2014, which will reach speeds from 360 to 400 km/h.

5th place. AVE Talgo-350 - speed 330 - 365 km/h

AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) is a trademark of the Spanish Railways operator Renfe-Operador. The abbreviation is also a play on the word "bird" (ave) in Spanish. All AVE class trains are high-speed, but the electric train AVE Talgo-350 with a capacity of 318 passengers, accelerating up to 330 km/h on the routes Madrid - Valladolid and Madrid - Barcelona, is especially fast. In 2004, during testing, the train reached a speed of 365 km/h. Because of appearance, similar to a duck's beak, the AVE Talgo-350 was nicknamed Pato (duck in Spanish).

4th place. CRH380A - speed 380 - 486.1 km/h

The Chinese train CRH380A is designed for a maximum operating speed of 380 km/h, while the speed record for such a train is 486.1 km/h. The production of these iron monsters is carried out by the largest railway manufacturer in China - CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company. The high-speed 8-car train with an “airplane-style” interior can accommodate 494 passengers. In September 2010, the CRH-380A was put into service for the first time on the Shanghai - Nanjing route. It later began operating daily flights on the Wuhan-Guangzhou and Shanghai-Hangzhou lines.

3rd place. Shanghai Maglev Train - speed 431 - 501 km/h

The Shanghai Maglev is a Chinese high-speed maglev train operating in Shanghai since 2004. The maximum speed of the express train is 431 km/h, which allows you to cover the distance from the city center to the airport (30 km) in just 7-8 minutes. In a test run on November 12, 2003, this train reached a speed of 501 km/h. The developers of the train are not the Chinese, but the Germans. The prototype of the Shanghai Maglev Train was the Transrapid SMT model

2nd place. TGV POS - speed 320 - 574.8 km/h

These French TVG series trains operate between France and Switzerland and between France and Germany. Operating speed - 320 km/h. At the same time, the TGV POS model holds the speed record among rail trains - in 2007, this train was able to accelerate to 574.8 km per hour.

1 place. Shinkansen series trains - speed 320 - 581 km/h

Shinkansen (Shinkansen - "new line" in Japanese) is a network of Japanese high-speed trains, often called "bullet" trains, and for good reason - the Shinkansen speed record for conventional railway lines is 443 km/h (the record was set in 1996 ), and on magnetic suspension 581 km/h, which is an absolute world record for trains (the record was set in 2003). The first high-speed train in Japan went into operation in 1964. Today, Shinkansen express trains, consisting of sixteen cars, cover the distance between Osaka and Tokyo in 2 hours and 25 minutes. The train has a peculiar elongated nose, thanks to which it received the nickname “platypus”. By the way, Shinkansen trains have the status of not only one of the fastest trains, but also the safest - in 40 years of operation there has not been a single major accident.

Hundreds of years have passed since the invention of the railway. Railway transport has overcome a long evolutionary path of development from hand-pulled massive trolleys to modern super-high-speed express trains operating on the principle of magnetic levitation, which have already become commonplace in many countries around the world. This selection will feature the fastest trains that can reach speeds of at least 300 km per hour.

11th place. HSL 1 (High-Speed Line 1)- speed 300 km/h
HSL 1 is a Belgian high-speed electric train of the TGV series (Train à Grande Vitesse - "high-speed train" in French), whose operating speed is 300 km/h, runs on a high-speed railway line connecting Brussels with the French railway line LGV Nord. It was put into operation in December 1997.

10th place. - speed 300 - 315 km/h
THSR 700T is a high-speed train on the island of Taiwan, developed based on Japanese Shinkansen trains. The train, which has a maximum operating speed of 300 km/h, connects northern Taipei and southern Kaohsiung. It consists of 12 comfortable carriages and can accommodate 989 passengers. The speed record for this train was set in 2005 and is 315 km/h.

9th place. - speed 320 km/h
ICE are high-speed trains common in Germany and neighboring countries. On the Strasbourg-Paris line, InterCity Express reaches speeds of up to 320 km/h. Today, ICEs are the main long-distance train type offered by German Railways. These trains are also supplied to Russia, where they are used on the Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow - St. Petersburg high-speed railway lines.

8th place. - speed 300 - 334.7 km/h
Eurostar or British Rail Class 373 is a British high-speed electric train of the TVG series, running between the UK, Belgium and France through the English Channel Tunnel, which is the second longest railway tunnel in the world. The train's capacity is 900 passengers, its operating speed reaches 300 km/h, and the speed record for this train was set in 2003 and is equal to 334.7 km/h. The journey from London to Paris by Eurostar takes 2 hours 16 minutes.

7th place. - speed 305 - 352 km/h
Sancheon, formerly known as KTX II, entered service in South Korea in 2009. It was built by Hyundai Rotem based on technology from French TGV trains and is owned by Korail, the national railway operator of South Korea. Although it can reach speeds of up to 352 km/h (the record was set in 2004), for safety reasons it does not go faster than 305 km/h. The comfortable train with a capacity of 363 passengers operates on the route Yongsan - Gwangju - Mokpo and Seoul - Busan.

6th place. - speed 300 - 362 km/h
For the ETR-500 electric train, released in Italy in 1993, the operating speed reaches 300 km/h, and the speed record was set in 2009 in the tunnel between Bologna and Florence and is 362 km/h. The train covers the distance from the center of Bologna to Milan in 56 minutes. The release of six ETR-1000 trains is planned for 2014, which will reach speeds from 360 to 400 km/h.

5th place. - speed 330 - 365 km/h
AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) is a trademark of the Spanish Railways operator Renfe-Operador. The abbreviation is also a play on the word "bird" (ave) in Spanish. All AVE class trains are high-speed, but the electric train AVE Talgo-350 with a capacity of 318 passengers, accelerating up to 330 km/h on the routes Madrid - Valladolid and Madrid - Barcelona, is especially fast. In 2004, during testing, the train reached a speed of 365 km/h. Due to its appearance similar to a duck's beak, the AVE Talgo-350 was nicknamed Pato (duck in Spanish).

4th place. - speed 380 - 486.1 km/h
The Chinese train CRH380A is designed for a maximum operating speed of 380 km/h, while the speed record for such a train is 486.1 km/h. The production of these iron monsters is carried out by the largest railway manufacturer in China - CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company. The high-speed 8-car train with an “airplane-style” interior can accommodate 494 passengers. In September 2010, the CRH-380A was put into service for the first time on the Shanghai - Nanjing route. It later began operating daily flights on the Wuhan-Guangzhou and Shanghai-Hangzhou lines.

3rd place. - speed 431 - 501 km/h
The Shanghai Maglev is a Chinese high-speed maglev train that has been operating in Shanghai since 2004. The maximum speed of the express train is 431 km/h, which allows you to cover the distance from the city center to the airport (30 km) in just 7-8 minutes. In a test run on November 12, 2003, this train reached a speed of 501 km/h. The developers of the train are not the Chinese, but the Germans. The prototype of the Shanghai Maglev Train was the Transrapid SMT model.

2nd place. - speed 320 - 574.8 km/h

1 place. Shinkansen series trains- speed 320 - 581 km/h
Shinkansen (Shinkansen - "new line" in Japanese) is a network of Japanese high-speed trains, often called "bullet" trains, and for good reason - the Shinkansen speed record for conventional railway lines is 443 km/h (the record was set in 1996 ), A maglev 581 km/h, which is an absolute world record for trains(the record was set in 2003). The first high-speed train in Japan went into operation in 1964. Today, Shinkansen express trains, consisting of sixteen cars, cover the distance between Osaka and Tokyo in 2 hours and 25 minutes. The train has a peculiar elongated nose, thanks to which it received the nickname “platypus”. By the way, Shinkansen trains have the status of not only one of the fastest trains, but also the safest - in 40 years of operation there has not been a single major accident.

The railway has existed for hundreds of years. And during this time, trains have gone through a huge evolutionary path from massive trolleys moved by hand traction to super-fast cars operating on the principle of Today, there are express trains in almost every country. Let's see what the fastest train is in Russia and the world. Here is a rating of express trains that can reach speeds of over 300 kilometers per hour!

Belgium

In eleventh place are the Belgian high-speed trains of the TGV series (Train à Grande Vitesse). These trains were developed back in early 1987 and were supposed to run from Amsterdam to Paris, passing through Cologne and Brussels. Express trains were put into operation in 1997.

The modern HSL 1 runs on the high-speed line that connects the Belgian capital with the French railway. The train travels from Paris to Brussels (300 km) in just 82 minutes. And its average speed is close to 300 kilometers per hour. By the way, this method of transportation is not cheap. A high-speed train ticket costs 88 euros (half the price of air travel). However, there is an attractive

Taiwan

The top ten fastest trains in the world are opened by the Taiwanese locomotive THSR 700T. Long, dynamic and exclusive. The prototypes and examples for its creation were the Japanese Shinkansen trains. The maximum operating speed of the Taiwan Express is 300 kilometers per hour. However, in 2005 the mark reached 315 kilometers. Which allowed the THSR 700T to enter the top ten fastest.

The locomotive runs from Northern Taipei to Southern Kaohsiung. Twelve comfortable carriages can accommodate up to 989 passengers in one trip. The train is famous not only for its speed, but also for its safety and accuracy.

Germany

Ninth place in the ranking is occupied by German high-speed trains InterCity Express (ICE). The speed of this model on the Strasbourg-Paris railway reaches 320 kilometers per hour. Today, ICE express trains are the main German trains. long distances. They are also delivered to the nearest and to Russia (for example, the high-speed train Moscow - St. Petersburg).

Germany began developing high-speed models back in 1985, when the country was divided into two parts. And the first train got on the rails in 1991, after the unification. The ICE-V test model reached a speed of 407 kilometers per hour in test mode. However, it was not put into operation.

In 1984, Transrapid began developing a test railway line between the cities of La Tène and Derpen, operating on the Maglev system. On this line, trains will be able to reach speeds of up to 420 kilometers. But due to the disaster that occurred on the line in September 2006, which claimed the lives of 23 people, the launch of Maglev was postponed indefinitely. Today, locomotives run along this railway line only as excursion tours and attractions.

England

In eighth place in the ranking are UK high-speed trains. The best representatives are British Rail Class 373 and Eurostar. Their speed ranges from 300 to 335 kilometers. These TGV series (French model) electric trains entered service in 1994 and operate between three countries: Great Britain, France and Belgium. Their path lies through the famous railway tunnel under the English Channel. By the way, this tunnel is the second longest in the whole world.

If we return to speed, we need to talk about the record set by the Eurostar locomotive in 2003 - 334.7 kilometers per hour. The entire journey from Paris to London for such a train takes 136 minutes.

London trains are the most spacious in the world. They can carry up to 900 passengers. In addition, the high-speed Eurostar is considered one of the longest locomotives - it reaches 394 meters in length and has 20 carriages.

South Korea

Seventh place in the ranking is occupied by the Korean electric train KTX Sancheon. Its speed is from 305 to 352 kilometers. The locomotive began its first route in 2009. The developer is the world-famous company Hyundai Rotem, which took French TGV technology as the basis for creating the locomotive.

The electric train is owned by the South Korean National Railway. And despite the record set in 2004 (352 km/h), the speed of the express almost never exceeds 305 kilometers. All this is for safety reasons, of course. KTX Sancheon is a spacious (up to 363 passengers), comfortable and modern model, operating on the routes Seoul - Busan and Yongsan - Mokpo (via Gwangju).

Italy

In sixth place is the Italian express ETR-500. Its full name is Elettro Treno Rapido 500. The train was launched in Rome in 1993. The average operating speed of the express train is 300 km/h. Well, the locomotive set its record of 362 kilometers in 2009, while moving through the tunnel connecting Bologna with Florence.

The time it takes the ETR-500 to cover its route (Bologna - Milan) is just under an hour. By the way, this year in Italy it is planned to produce six locomotives of the new generation ETR-100. These cars will be able to reach speeds from 350 to 400 km/h.

Spain

The top five fastest trains are Spanish high-speed trains produced by the trading company Alta Velocidad Española, or AVE for short. This abbreviation is not accidental. In Spanish, "ave" means "bird". The company's most famous model is the luxury express AVE Talgo-350. It really flies like a bird, reaching speeds of 330 km/h.

AVE Talgo-350 is a high-speed comfortable train with a capacity of up to 318 people. It runs between Madrid, Valladolid and Barcelona. In 2004, during tests and tests, the locomotive was able to accelerate to its maximum speed - 365 km/h. By the way, it is also called “duck”. The train received this nickname due to its long front, which in appearance strongly resembles a duck’s beak.

China

Both fourth and third places are occupied by Chinese high-speed locomotives.

In fourth place is the “pure Chinese” CRH380A. Its manufacturer is the largest national company for the production of railway vehicles - CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company. The locomotive reaches speeds of up to 380 kilometers per hour. And during the tests he set his own record - 486 kilometers. CRH380A is a comfortable and spacious high-speed train Beijing - Shanghai, Shanghai - Hangzhou and Guangzhou - Wuhan. It began making its daily flights in September 2010.

Third place goes to the Chinese Shanghai Maglev Train. It is capable of reaching speeds from 431 to 501 kilometers per hour. The train operates on the Maglev magnetic suspension principle, which the Germans never adopted. By the way, Shanghai Maglev was developed not by the Chinese, but by the same Germans. And its prototype was the German locomotive Transrapid SMT. The Chinese high-speed train was put into operation in 2004 in the city of Shanghai. The maximum speed at which it travels daily on its route Shanghai - airport does not exceed 431 km/h. However, he can do more. During testing, the locomotive was accelerated to 501 kilometers per hour!

France

The second fastest trains in the world are the French TGV series. They travel routes from France to Switzerland and Germany. The average speed of the models is 320 km/h. The record was set in 2007 and was 574.8 km/h.

The French high-speed trains of the Train a Grande Vitesse system are among the most famous and fastest in the world. They broke world speed records several times. The development of such models began in France back in the 1960s. This was a kind of response to the creation by the Japanese of their Shinkansen. Today France boasts huge high-speed lines (more than 1,700 kilometers), as well as 4,000 locomotives of seven types.

Land of the Rising Sun

So we come to the very fast train in the world. And this is the Japanese Shinkansen series. The speed of the high-speed train is 581 km/h. She breaks all world records to date. Japan became the first country to dedicate separate lines to high-speed routes from its railway system. The first such train made its pilot flight in 1964. This was timed to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics. Route: Tokyo - Osaka.

The first Shinkansen locomotive was designed in the shape of a bullet, hence the name. Even today they are called “bullets” in the old fashioned way. This also symbolizes their high speed feature. Express trains really fly at the speed of a bullet. The normal speed for the Shinkansen is 443 km/h. And the absolute world record, which was set in 2003, reaches 581 kilometers.

The modern Shinkansen is a comfortable high-speed express train consisting of sixteen durable and stable cars. The Japanese locomotive is not only the fastest in the world, but also the safest. Over the forty-five years of operation, trains of this brand have never been involved in major accidents! No casualties, no damage - complete safety.

By the way, Tokyo's railway network is the busiest in the world. During its existence, Shinkansen trains have carried more than six billion passengers! No other line can boast such numbers.

The fastest, the safest, and also the most accurate in the world. Thus, the locomotive covers the distance from Osaka to Tokyo in 145 minutes. And in 2003, having completed 160 similar flights, the Shinkansen deviated from the schedule by only six seconds...

Russia

Our country, of course, cannot boast of such impressive figures, and they do not reach 300 km/h. However, we can also boast of high-speed routes.

Until 2009, the ER200 train ran on the Moscow - St. Petersburg route. Its speed, as can be understood from the name, was 200 km/h. And during testing, the locomotive was able to accelerate to 210 kilometers. In 2009, this miracle of technology was written off and replaced by the Sapsan high-speed train. The locomotive received this name in honor of the peregrine falcon, which is considered the fastest bird in the world. The train was designed and assembled in Germany. At its peak it can reach speeds of up to 300 km/h. The manufacturer (Siemens) set the maximum design speed at 350 kilometers per hour. During testing on our railways The locomotive was accelerated to 290 km/h. The Sapsan train moves along the route Moscow - St. Petersburg. He covers this distance in four hours, the average speed is 166 km/h. It is no longer dispersed for safety reasons. By the way, the express train traveling from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod generally moves at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour...

In Russia, in second place after Sapsan is the high-speed train Lastochka. It was also developed by the German company Siemens. He was specially sent to Russia for the beginning of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. It consists of five carriages and reaches 130 meters in length. Can also be operated in dual mode (with the addition of five more cars). The speed of the “Swallow” is lower - up to 160 km/h. It is designed for commuter routes and is equipped with high platforms. Today such trains run from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar. And also as electric trains in Sochi and Tuapse.

In Russia, unlike other countries, there are no separately dedicated high-speed lines. Both the high-speed train “Lastochka” and the no less fast “Sapsan” run on pre-existing, albeit modernized, tracks. In addition, to introduce these express trains, several slower routes had to be eliminated. This, in turn, caused a lot of discontent among the local population. Moreover, the cost of tickets for such trains is quite high, even by the standards of Europe and Asia. For a trip in a locomotive from Moscow to St. Petersburg, you will pay the same amount as you would pay if you flew there by plane.