Land speed record for railed vehicles

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Land speed record for railed vehicles

Determination of the fastest rail vehicle in the world varies depending on the definition of "rail

Rail tracks

Rail tracks are used on rail transports , which, together with Railroad switch , guide trains without the need for steering. Tracks consist of two parallel steel Rail profile, which are laid upon Railroad tie that are embedded in track ballast to form the railroad track....
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The French TGV

TGV

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Determination of the fastest rail vehicle in the world varies depending on the definition of "rail

Rail tracks

TGV

The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....
(Train à Grande Vitesse) is the fastest conventional train in the world, using powered metal wheels riding on metal rails. In April 2007, the TGV broke its own 1990 record with a new speed of 574.8 km/h (357.18 mph) under test conditions with a shortened train (two power cars and three passenger cars).

The Japanese JR-Maglev

JR-Maglev

JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s....
is the fastest non-conventional train in the world, having achieved 581 km/h (361 mph) on a magnetic-levitation

Magnetic levitation

Magnetic levitation, maglev, or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is levitation with no support other than magnetic fields....
track. Unmanned rocket sled

Rocket sled

A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets. They were used extensively by the United States early in the Cold War to accelerate equipment considered too experimental for testing directly in piloted aircraft....
s that ride on rails have reached over 10,400 km/h (6,462 mph), equivalent to Mach

Mach number

Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance. It is commonly used to represent an object's speed, when it is travelling at the speed of sound....
8.5. The fastest manned rail vehicle is a manned rocket sled, that travelled at 1,017 km/h (635 mph).

Conventional wheeled

Electric multiple units

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
162.5 (100.9)	Siemens & Halske Siemens AG Siemens Aktiengesellschaft is Europe's largest engineering Conglomerate . Siemens' international headquarters are located in Berlin and Munich, Germany.... Drehstrom	Electric (Locomotive or EMU?)	Between Marienfelde Marienfelde Marienfelde is a locality in southwest Berlin. It is a mixed industrial and residential area, and part of the borough of Tempelhof-Sch?neberg.... and Zossen Zossen Zossen is a Germany town in the district of Teltow-Fl?ming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the Bundesstra?e 96. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... (:de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn)	1901	Drehstrom: Three-phase Three-phase In electrical engineering, three-phase electric power systems have at least three conductors carrying voltage waveforms that are 2p/3 radians offset in time.... . Some sources say 160 or 162 km/h. See: .
203 (126.1)	Siemens & Halske Siemens AG Siemens Aktiengesellschaft is Europe's largest engineering Conglomerate . Siemens' international headquarters are located in Berlin and Munich, Germany.... Drehstrom-Triebwagen	Electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of many carriages using electricity as the motive power.... (EMU)	Between Marienfelde Marienfelde Marienfelde is a locality in southwest Berlin. It is a mixed industrial and residential area, and part of the borough of Tempelhof-Sch?neberg.... and Zossen Zossen Zossen is a Germany town in the district of Teltow-Fl?ming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the Bundesstra?e 96. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... (:de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn)	6 October 1903	Drehstrom-Triebwagen: Three-phase Three-phase In electrical engineering, three-phase electric power systems have at least three conductors carrying voltage waveforms that are 2p/3 radians offset in time.... -Multiple unit Multiple unit The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelling train unit capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one cab.... . Some sources say 7 October, others say 201 or 200.99 km/h and others say an improbable 213 km/h. See: :de:Studiengesellschaft für Elektrische Schnellbahnen, , .
206.7 (128.4)	Siemens & Halske Siemens AG Siemens Aktiengesellschaft is Europe's largest engineering Conglomerate . Siemens' international headquarters are located in Berlin and Munich, Germany.... Drehstrom-Triebwagen	Electric multiple unit	Between Marienfelde Marienfelde Marienfelde is a locality in southwest Berlin. It is a mixed industrial and residential area, and part of the borough of Tempelhof-Sch?neberg.... and Zossen Zossen Zossen is a Germany town in the district of Teltow-Fl?ming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the Bundesstra?e 96. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... (:de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn)	23 October 1903	Drehstrom-Triebwagen: Three-phase-Multiple unit.
210.2 (130.6)	AEG AEG AEG was a Germany producer of electronics and electrical equipment. AEG was founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau who had bought some patents from American inventor Thomas Edison.... Drehstrom-Triebwagen	Electric multiple unit	Between Marienfelde Marienfelde Marienfelde is a locality in southwest Berlin. It is a mixed industrial and residential area, and part of the borough of Tempelhof-Sch?neberg.... and Zossen Zossen Zossen is a Germany town in the district of Teltow-Fl?ming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the Bundesstra?e 96. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... (:de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn)	28 October 1903	Drehstrom-Triebwagen: Three-phase-Multiple unit. Many sources say 27 October. On 25 November 1903 a Siemens & Halske train attained 210 km/h. Absolute record. Broken by Schienenzeppelin Schienenzeppelin The Schienenzeppelin or rail zeppelin was an experimental railcar which resembles a zeppelin airship in appearance. It was designed and developed by the German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929.... in 1931. Record for electrical trains until 1954. See: :de:Studiengesellschaft für Elektrische Schnellbahnen, , .
256 (159)	1000 Type Shinkansen Shinkansen File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....	Electric multiple unit	Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....	30 March 1963	On Odawara Odawara, Kanagawa is a cities of Japan located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on December 20, 1940. Odawara has had a Town twinning relationship with Chula Vista, CA for over 25 years.... test track, now part of Tokaido Shinkansen Tokaido Shinkansen is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen line, opened in 1964 between Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station. It is operated by the Central Japan Railway Company , and formerly by JNR, Japan National Railways.... .
286 (177.6)	951 Type Shinkansen Shinkansen File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....	Electric multiple unit	Japan	24 February 1972	On Sanyo Shinkansen Sanyo Shinkansen The is a line of the Japan Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan.... .
319 (198.1)	961 Type Shinkansen Shinkansen File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....	Electric multiple unit	Japan	7 December 1979	On Oyama Oyama, Tochigi is a cities of Japan located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 162,283 and the population density of 946 persons per square kilometer.... test track, now part of Tohoku Shinkansen Tohoku Shinkansen Tohoku Shinkansen is a high-speed rail line, connecting Tokyo with Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 593 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line.... .
380 (236.12)	SNCF TGV Sud-Est SNCF TGV Sud-Est The SNCF TGV Sud-Est is a France TGV train built by Alstom and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. It is a semi-permanently coupled electric multiple unit which operates primarily between Paris and the south-east of France.... Set No. 16	Electric multiple unit	France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....	26 February 1981	On LGV Sud-Est LGV Sud-Est \|}The LGV Sud-Est is a France high-speed rail passenger rail line, which links Paris and Lyon. The inauguration of the first section between Saint-Florentin and Sathonay on 22 September, 1981 marked the beginning of the re-invigoration of French passenger rail service.... . Conventional wheeled absolute record.
406.9 (252.83)	InterCityExperimental InterCityExperimental The Intercity Experimental, later renamed ICE V, was an experimental train for research into high-speed rail. It is the predecessor of all Intercity-Express trains.... (ICE-V)	Electric multiple unit	West Germany West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Germany , from its formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when East Germany was dissolved and its States of Germany became part of the Federal Republic, ending the more than 40-year division of Germany....	1 May 1988	Conventional wheeled absolute record.
408.4 (253.7)	SNCF TGV Sud-Est SNCF TGV Sud-Est The SNCF TGV Sud-Est is a France TGV train built by Alstom and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. It is a semi-permanently coupled electric multiple unit which operates primarily between Paris and the south-east of France.... Set No. 88	Electric multiple unit	France	12 December 1988	On LGV Sud-Est LGV Sud-Est \|}The LGV Sud-Est is a France high-speed rail passenger rail line, which links Paris and Lyon. The inauguration of the first section between Saint-Florentin and Sathonay on 22 September, 1981 marked the beginning of the re-invigoration of French passenger rail service.... . Conventional wheeled absolute record.
482.4 (299.7)	SNCF TGV Atlantique SNCF TGV Atlantique The TGV Atlantique is a class of high-speed trains used in France by SNCF; they were built by Alstom between 1988-1991. These represented the second-generation of TGV trains, following on from the SNCF TGV Sud-Est.... Set No. 325	Electric multiple unit	France	5 December 1989	On LGV Atlantique LGV Atlantique The LGV Atlantique is a high-speed railway line running from Paris to Western France. It opened in 1989-1990. It divides into two parts at Courtalain, one going westward to Le Mans , the second one going southwestward to Tours .... . Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
515.3 (320.1) (320.19)	SNCF TGV Atlantique SNCF TGV Atlantique The TGV Atlantique is a class of high-speed trains used in France by SNCF; they were built by Alstom between 1988-1991. These represented the second-generation of TGV trains, following on from the SNCF TGV Sud-Est.... Set No. 325	Electric multiple unit	France	18 May 1990	On LGV Atlantique LGV Atlantique The LGV Atlantique is a high-speed railway line running from Paris to Western France. It opened in 1989-1990. It divides into two parts at Courtalain, one going westward to Le Mans , the second one going southwestward to Tours .... . Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
574.8 (357.18)	SNCF TGV POS SNCF TGV POS The TGV POS is a France TGV train which is being used on the LGV Est. POS stands for Paris-Ostfrankreich-S?ddeutschland .Each train is formed of eight existing SNCF TGV R?seau single-deck carriages paired with new power cars with a total power output of 9.6 Megawatt and a top speed of 320 km/h under 25 kV.... Set No. 4402	Electric multiple unit	France	3 April 2007	On LGV Est LGV Est The LGV Est europ?enne is an extension to the French High-speed rail TGV network, connecting Paris and Strasbourg. It provides fast service between Paris and the principal cities of eastern France and Luxembourg, and several cities in Germany and Switzerland.... . Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.

Electric locomotives

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
243 (150.99)	Alstom Alstom Alstom is a large France multinational company list of conglomerates which holds interests in the electricity generation and transport markets.... CC 7121	Electric locomotive Electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from an external source. Sources include overhead lines, third rail, or an on-board electricity storage device such as a battery or flywheel energy storage system....	France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....	21 February 1954	Between Dijon and Beaune. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
320.6 (199.2)	Alstom CC 7107	Electric locomotive	France	28 March 1955	On the Les Landes line between Bordeaux and Dax (Facture - Morcenx). Conventional wheeled absolute record. See: :fr:CC 7100.
331 (205.6)	Jeumont-Schneider BB 9004	Electric locomotive	France	29 March 1955	On the Les Landes line between Bordeaux and Dax (Facture - Morcenx). Conventional wheeled absolute record. Other sources say 330.9 km/h. See: :fr:BB 9003-9004, .
357 (221.82)	Siemens Siemens Siemens AG is a German electrical and telecommunications companysiemens may refer tosiemens , the SI unit of electrical conductance, equivalent to 1 ampere/volt... Eurosprinter EuroSprinter The EuroSprinter* family of electric locomotives is a modular concept of locomotives for the European market built by Siemens AG. The internal Siemens product name is ES 64, with ES for EuroSprinter and the number 64 indicating the 6,400 kW power at rail.... ES64U4 No. 1216 050-5	Electric locomotive	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....	2 September 2006	Record attained on Nuremberg-Munich high-speed rail line Nuremberg-Munich high-speed rail line \|}The Nuremberg-Munich high-speed railway line is a Germany high-speed railway 171 km in length. It links the two largest cities in Bavaria, Nuremberg and Munich.... , locomotive owned by ÖBB ÖBB File:?BB-Budapest.oggFile:?BB-Hohenau.oggFile:?BB-Rekawinkel.ogg?BB is the national railway system of Austria. It is the successor to the Bundesbahn ?sterreich which was incorporated into the Deutsche Reichsbahn between 1938 and 1945.... . Series-produced locomotive. See: [https://www.transportation.siemens.de/ts/en/pub/newsline/newsline/press_2006/2006/04_09_2006.htm], .

Third rail
Third rail

A third rail is a method of providing electricity to power a rail transport through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails....
electric

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
174 (108)	Class 442 British Rail Class 442 The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units, were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo station to Southampton Central railway station, Bournemouth railway station, Poole railway station and Weymouth railway station.... (Wessex Electric) unit 2401	Electric	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....	11 April 1988

Fourth rail electric

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
112 (70)	Cravens A Stock London Underground A60 Stock The A60 Stock is a class of sub-surface train run on the London Underground, and was built in 1960 by Cravens of Sheffield for the extension of the electrification to Amersham....	Electric	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....	1960-late1990s

Gas turbine

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
275 (170.8)	UAC TurboTrain	Gas turbine-electric Gas turbine-electric locomotive A gas turbine-electric locomotive, or GTEL, is a locomotive that uses a gas turbine to drive an electric generator or alternator. The electric current thus produced is used to power traction motors....	United States United States The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...	20 December 1967
318 (197.59)	TGV 001 TGV 001 TGV 001 , the first TGV prototype, was commissioned in 1969 and began testing in 1972. The TGV 001 was an experimental gas turbine-electric locomotive-powered trainset built by Alsthom to break speed records between 250 and 300 Kilometre per hour....	Gas turbine-electric Gas turbine-electric locomotive A gas turbine-electric locomotive, or GTEL, is a locomotive that uses a gas turbine to drive an electric generator or alternator. The electric current thus produced is used to power traction motors....	France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....	8 December 1972

Diesel

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
181 (112.5)	Pioneer Zephyr Pioneer Zephyr The *Pioneer Zephyr* is a diesel engine railroad train formed of railroad cars permanently articulated together with Jacobs bogies, built by the Budd Company in 1934 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad , commonly known as the Burlington....	Diesel	United States United States The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...	26 May 1934
205.0 (127.4)	DRG SVT 137 "Bauart Leipzig" DRG Class SVT 137 The DRG Class SVT 137 was a class of streamliner diesel multiple unit of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and later of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and the Deutsche Reichsbahn....	Diesel	Germany	17 February 1936	First diesel train faster than 125 mph
215.0 (133.6)	DRG SVT 137 155 (Kruckenberg) DRG Class SVT 137 The DRG Class SVT 137 was a class of streamliner diesel multiple unit of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and later of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and the Deutsche Reichsbahn....	Diesel	Germany	23 June 1939
230.4 (143.16)	Class 252 (HST High Speed Train There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service.... prototype)	Diesel	United Kingdom	12 June 1973
238 (147.88)	Class 43 (HST]) British Rail Class 43 (HST) The British Rail Class 43 is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars, built by BREL from 1976 to 1982.The class is the fastest diesel unit in the world, with an absolute maximum of , and regular service speed, although there are claims that this Land speed record for railed vehicles#Diesel has been br...	Diesel	United Kingdom	1 November 1987	Current diesel speed record listed in 2006 Guinness Book of Records
271 (168.39)	TEP80 TEP80 TEP80 is a Russian diesel locomotive. It claims Land speed record for railed vehicles for a diesel railed vehicle having reached 271 km/h on 5 October 1993....	Diesel	Russia	December 1992	Claimed by Russian manufacturer
256.38 (159.30)	Talgo XXI	Diesel	Spain	12 June 2002	Claimed by Spanish manufacturer

Petrol

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
230.2 (143.03)	Schienenzeppelin Schienenzeppelin The Schienenzeppelin or rail zeppelin was an experimental railcar which resembles a zeppelin airship in appearance. It was designed and developed by the German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929....	Propeller Propeller A propeller is a type of fan which transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. It can be used to drive an fixed-wing aircraft, ship, or the fluid within a pump.... pushed railcar with a petrol aero engine	On the route Berlin Berlin Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city.... - Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany , and is the Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits. The city is home to approximately 1.8 million people, while the Hamburg metropolitan area has more than 4.3 million inhabitants.... between Karstädt Karstädt Karst?dt is a Municipalities of Germany in the Prignitz district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... and Dergenthin, Germany (:de:Berlin-Hamburger Bahn)	21 June 1931	Absolute record for more than twenty years. Engine by BMW BMW , is an independent German automotive industry founded in 1916. It also produces BMW Motorrad, is the owner of the MINI brand and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.... . Other sources say between Ludwigslust Ludwigslust Ludwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It is the capital of the district of Ludwigslust .... und Wittenberge Wittenberge Wittenberge is a town of twenty thousand people on the lower Elbe in the district of Prignitz , Brandenburg, Germany.... .

Steam

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
8 (4.97)	Richard Trevithick Richard Trevithick Richard Trevithick was a British nationality inventor, mining engineer and builder of the first working railway steam locomotive.... 's world's first railway steam locomotive	Steam	United Kingdom	21 February 1804
24 (15)	Locomotion No. 1	Steam	United Kingdom	1825
48 (30)	Stephenson's Rocket Stephenson's Rocket Stephenson's Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built in Newcastle at the Forth Street Works of Robert Stephenson and Company in 1829....	Steam	United Kingdom	1830
96.6 (60)	Boston and Maine Railroad Boston and Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century.... Antelope	Steam	United States	1848	First authenticated 60 mph, 26 miles in 26 minutes.
125.6 (78)	Great Britain GWR Iron Duke Class The Great Western Railway Iron Duke Class Whyte notation broad gauge steam locomotives for express passenger train work....	Steam	United Kingdom	1850	80mph claimed
131.6 (81.8)	Bristol & Exeter Railway #41 Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives The 14 Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives were broad gauge 4-2-4 steam locomotives built to three different designs. The first entered service in 1853 and the last was withdrawn in 1885....	Steam	United Kingdom	June 1854
131 (82)	Empire State Express Empire State Express The *Empire State Express* was one of the List of named passenger trains train and onetime flagship of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad .... No. 999	Steam	United States	May 10 1893	112 mph (179 km/h) claimed, which would make it the first wheeled vehicle to exceed 100 mph.
145 (90)	LNWR No. 790 Hardwicke LNWR Improved Precedent Class The London and North Western Railway Improved Precedent Class or "Jumbo" Class is a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotive originally designed for express passenger work....	Steam	United Kingdom	22-23 August 1895	Maximum speed claimed, although average speed record was authenticated (see below).
164 (102.3)	GWR 3700 Class 3440 City of Truro GWR 3700 Class 3440 City of Truro Great Western Railway GWR 3700 Class Whyte notation locomotive number 3440 *City Of Truro* was designed by George Jackson Churchward and built at the Swindon Works in 1903....	Steam	United Kingdom	9 May 1904	Claimed to be the first steam locomotive to reach 100 mph.
185.07 (115.00)	Pennsylvania Railroad E6s #460	Steam	United States	11 June 1927	Claimed. E6s #7002 was clocked at Crestline, Ohio Crestline, Ohio Crestline is a city in Crawford County, Ohio and Richland County, Ohio Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 5,088 at the United States Census 2000.... at 127.1 mph (204.55 km/h) in 1905. However PRR Steam Locomotives did not carry speedometers at that time, speed was calculated by measuring time between mile markers, so this is not recognized as a speed record.
160 (100)	LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman The LNER LNER Class A3 4-6-2 steam locomotive no. 4472 "Flying Scotsman" was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster railway works to a design of Sir Nigel Gresley....	Steam	United Kingdom	30 November 1934	In 1934, Flying Scotsman achieved the first authenticated 100 mph (160 km/h) by a steam locomotive.
168.5 (104.70)	LNER Class A3 No. 2750 Papyrus	Steam	United Kingdom	5 March 1935	First run at 100+ mph with complete, surviving documentation.
181.1 (112.53)	Milwaukee Road class A Milwaukee Road class A The Milwaukee Road class A comprised four high-speed, streamlined 4-4-2 "Atlantic" type steam locomotives built by American Locomotive Company in 1935-37 to haul the Chicago, Milwaukee, St.... #2	Steam	United States	15 May 1935
180.3 (112)	LNER Class A4 2509 Silver Link LNER Class A4 2509 Silver Link *Silver Link* was the first London and North Eastern Railway LNER Class A4 locomotive, built in 1935 to pull a new train called the Silver Jubilee ....	Steam	United Kingdom	29 September 1935	Authenticated. Some sources say 112.5 mph.
200.4 (124.52)	Borsig DRG series 05 002 DRG Class 05 The Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft's BR 05 was a Germany class of three express passenger steam locomotives of 4-6-4 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2'C2' in the UIC notation used in continental Europe....	Steam	Germany	11 May 1936
202.6 (125.88)	LNER Class A4 No.4468 Mallard LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard Number 4468 Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway LNER Class A4 4-6-2 steam locomotive built at Doncaster, England in 1938. While in other respects a relatively typical member of its class, it is historically significant for being the holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives....	Steam	United Kingdom	3 July 1938	Peak speed 202.6 km/h, mean speed (half-mile) 201.2 km/h. Mallard suffered an overheated big end during the run, but was repaired and returned to traffic within 9 days.

Jet

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
295.72 (183.68)	Budd Rail Diesel Car Budd Rail Diesel Car The Budd Rail Diesel Car or RDC is a self-propelled Diesel locomotive#Diesel-hydraulic rail transport Passenger car . In the period 1949?1962, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....	Jet aero engines	United States	23 July 1966

Rocket

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
280	Opel RAK III Opel-RAK Opel-RAK were a series of rocket vehicles produced by Fritz von Opel, of the Opel car company, in association with others, including Max Valier and Friedrich Wilhelm Sander largely as publicity stunts....	Rocket	Germany	23 June 1928	Unmanned. Some sources say 254 or 290 km/h. See: , , , , .

Narrow gauge

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
129	JNR C62 steam locomotive No. C62 17	Steam locomotive Steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive powered by steam. The term usually refers to its use on railways, but can also refer to a "road locomotive" such as a traction engine or steamroller....	Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....	15 December 1954	On JNR Tokaido Main Line Tokaido Main Line The is the busiest trunk line of Japan Railways Group , connecting Tokyo Station and Kobe Station . It is 589.5 km long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities....
145 (90.1)	Odakyu 3000 series SE Odakyu 3000 series SE The or SE , later becoming SSE , was a "Romancecar" Electric multiple unit operated by the Odakyu Electric Railway in the Tokyo area of Japan.... Romancecar Romancecar The is Odakyu Electric Railway's name for its limited express luxury tourist services south-west of Tokyo, to mountain resorts such as Gotenba and Hakone, and beaches such as Numazu and Enoshima....	Electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of many carriages using electricity as the motive power....	Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....	27 September 1957	On JNR Tokaido Main Line Tokaido Main Line The is the busiest trunk line of Japan Railways Group , connecting Tokyo Station and Kobe Station . It is 589.5 km long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities....
163 (101.2)	JNR 151 series	Electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of many carriages using electricity as the motive power....	Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....	31 July 1959	On JNR Tokaido Main Line Tokaido Main Line The is the busiest trunk line of Japan Railways Group , connecting Tokyo Station and Kobe Station . It is 589.5 km long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities....
175 (108.7)	JNR KuMoYa93 test car	Electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of many carriages using electricity as the motive power....	Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....	21 November 1960	On JNR Tokaido Main Line Tokaido Main Line The is the busiest trunk line of Japan Railways Group , connecting Tokyo Station and Kobe Station . It is 589.5 km long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities....
245 (152.2)	Class 6E	Electric locomotive Electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from an external source. Sources include overhead lines, third rail, or an on-board electricity storage device such as a battery or flywheel energy storage system....	South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....	December 1978

Hovertrain

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
100	Aérotrain Aérotrain The A?rotrain was a hovercraft train developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the A?rotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance.... 01	Hovercraft Hovercraft A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle , is a craft , designed to travel over any smooth surface supported by a cushion of slowly moving, high-pressure air, ejected downwards against the surface below, and contained within a "skirt." Hovercraft are used throughout the world as a method of specialized transport where ever there is the nee... train Ground effect train A ground effect train is an alternative to a Magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground.... , Propeller Propeller A propeller is a type of fan which transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. It can be used to drive an fixed-wing aircraft, ship, or the fluid within a pump.... engine	:fr:Gometz-la-Ville, France	21 February 1966
200	Aérotrain Aérotrain The A?rotrain was a hovercraft train developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the A?rotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance.... 01	Hovercraft Hovercraft A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle , is a craft , designed to travel over any smooth surface supported by a cushion of slowly moving, high-pressure air, ejected downwards against the surface below, and contained within a "skirt." Hovercraft are used throughout the world as a method of specialized transport where ever there is the nee... train Ground effect train A ground effect train is an alternative to a Magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground.... , Propeller engine	Gometz-la-Ville, France	A few days after 21 February 1966
303	Aérotrain Aérotrain The A?rotrain was a hovercraft train developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the A?rotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance.... 01	Hovercraft Hovercraft A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle , is a craft , designed to travel over any smooth surface supported by a cushion of slowly moving, high-pressure air, ejected downwards against the surface below, and contained within a "skirt." Hovercraft are used throughout the world as a method of specialized transport where ever there is the nee... train Ground effect train A ground effect train is an alternative to a Magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground.... , Jet Jet engine A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet of fluid to generate thrust in accordance with Isaac Newton Newton's laws of motion.... aero engine	Gometz-la-Ville, France	23 December 1966	With the help of an auxiliary rocket.
345	Aérotrain Aérotrain The A?rotrain was a hovercraft train developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the A?rotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance.... 02	Hovercraft Hovercraft A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle , is a craft , designed to travel over any smooth surface supported by a cushion of slowly moving, high-pressure air, ejected downwards against the surface below, and contained within a "skirt." Hovercraft are used throughout the world as a method of specialized transport where ever there is the nee... train Ground effect train A ground effect train is an alternative to a Magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground.... , Jet aero engine	Gometz-la-Ville, France	November 1967
422	Aérotrain Aérotrain The A?rotrain was a hovercraft train developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the A?rotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance.... 02	Hovercraft Hovercraft A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle , is a craft , designed to travel over any smooth surface supported by a cushion of slowly moving, high-pressure air, ejected downwards against the surface below, and contained within a "skirt." Hovercraft are used throughout the world as a method of specialized transport where ever there is the nee... train Ground effect train A ground effect train is an alternative to a Magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground.... , Jet aero engine	Gometz-la-Ville, France	22 January 1969	With the help of an auxiliary rocket.
430.4	Aérotrain Aérotrain The A?rotrain was a hovercraft train developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the A?rotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance.... I-80 Haute Vitesse (HV)	Hovercraft Hovercraft A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle , is a craft , designed to travel over any smooth surface supported by a cushion of slowly moving, high-pressure air, ejected downwards against the surface below, and contained within a "skirt." Hovercraft are used throughout the world as a method of specialized transport where ever there is the nee... train Ground effect train A ground effect train is an alternative to a Magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground.... , Jet aero engine	Chevilly, Loiret Chevilly, Loiret Chevilly is a Communes of France in the Loiret Departments of France in north-central France.See also*Communes of the Loiret department... , France	5 March 1974	Peak speed 430.4 km/h, average speed over two runs in opposite directions 417.6 km/h on a 3 km track.

Maglev

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
90	MBB Messerschmitt Messerschmitt AG was a famous Germany aircraft manufacturer, known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Me 262.... Prinzipfahrzeug	Maglev Maglev train MAGLEV, or magnetic levitation, is a system of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles, predominantly trains, using levitation from a very large number of magnets for lift and propulsion....	MBB's Ottobrunn Ottobrunn Ottobrunn is a Municipalities of Germany southeast of Munich, Bavaria, Germany, founded in 1955. It is located at . Ottobrunn consists of mainly semi-detached and detached houses, and lots of gardens.... factory (near Munich Munich Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Northern Limestone Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg.... ), West Germany West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Germany , from its formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when East Germany was dissolved and its States of Germany became part of the Federal Republic, ending the more than 40-year division of Germany....	6 May 1971	660 m test track; MBB Messerschmitt Messerschmitt AG was a famous Germany aircraft manufacturer, known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Me 262.... : Messerschmidt-Bölkow-Blohm, Prinzipfahrzeug: Principle vehicle.
164 (101.9)	Transrapid 02 Transrapid Transrapid is a Germany high-speed rail monorail using maglev train. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969....	Maglev	Krauss-Maffei Krauss-Maffei The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Germany.... 's plant in Munich Munich Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Northern Limestone Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg.... - Allach, West Germany	October 1971	930 m test track which included one curve.
250	Transrapid 04 Transrapid Transrapid is a Germany high-speed rail monorail using maglev train. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969....	Maglev	Munich - Allach, West Germany	end 1973
253.2 (157.3)	Transrapid 04 Transrapid Transrapid is a Germany high-speed rail monorail using maglev train. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969....	Maglev	West Germany	21 November 1977
504	JR-Maglev ML-500 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s.... R	Maglev	Miyazaki Miyazaki Miyazaki can be:... Maglev Test Track, Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....	12 December 1979
517 (321.24)	JR-Maglev ML-500 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s.... R	Maglev	Miyazaki Miyazaki Miyazaki can be:... Maglev Test Track, Japan	21 December 1979
531 (329.94)	JR-Maglev MLX01 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s....	Maglev	Yamanashi Yamanashi Yamanashi can refer to:* Yamanashi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture with 888,170 people.* Yamanashi, Yamanashi, a Japanese city with 39,631 people.... Maglev Test Line, Japan	12 December 1997	Three-car train set.
550 (341.75)	JR-Maglev MLX01 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s....	Maglev	Yamanashi Yamanashi Yamanashi can refer to:* Yamanashi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture with 888,170 people.* Yamanashi, Yamanashi, a Japanese city with 39,631 people.... Maglev Test Line, Japan	24 December 1997	Three-car train set.
552 (342.99)	JR-Maglev MLX01 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s....	Maglev	Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan	14 April 1999	Five-car train set. Guinness Book of Records authenticated.
581 (361.01)	JR-Maglev MLX01 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s....	Maglev	Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan	2 December 2003	Three-car train set. Absolute record (excepting rocket sled Rocket sled A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets. They were used extensively by the United States early in the Cold War to accelerate equipment considered too experimental for testing directly in piloted aircraft.... s). Guinness Book of Records authenticated.

Unmanned, other propulsion

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
401.3 (249)	Komet	Maglev	Manching Manching Manching is a Municipalities of Germany in the Pfaffenhofen , in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Paar, 7 km southeast of Ingolstadt.... , Germany	1974	By MBB. Propelled by six hot water rocket Rocket A rocket or rocket vehicle is a missile, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust by the Reaction of the rocket to the ejection of fast moving fluid exhaust from a rocket engine.... s.

Relative passing speed between two trains

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
777 (482.6)	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	LGV Atlantique LGV Atlantique The LGV Atlantique is a high-speed railway line running from Paris to Western France. It opened in 1989-1990. It divides into two parts at Courtalain, one going westward to Le Mans , the second one going southwestward to Tours .... , France	December 1989	conventional wheeled
966 (600)	JR-Maglev MLX01 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s....	Maglev	Yamanashi Yamanashi Yamanashi can refer to:* Yamanashi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture with 888,170 people.* Yamanashi, Yamanashi, a Japanese city with 39,631 people.... Maglev Test Line, Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....	December 1998
1003 (622.98)	JR-Maglev MLX01 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s....	Maglev	Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan	November 1999
1026 (637.52)	JR-Maglev MLX01 JR-Maglev JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s....	Maglev	Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan	16 November 2004

Unmodified (commercially operated)

Top speed

Conventional wheeled

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
380 (236.12)	SNCF TGV Sud-Est SNCF TGV Sud-Est The SNCF TGV Sud-Est is a France TGV train built by Alstom and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. It is a semi-permanently coupled electric multiple unit which operates primarily between Paris and the south-east of France.... Set No. 16	Electric multiple unit	France	26 February 1981	On LGV Sud-Est LGV Sud-Est \|}The LGV Sud-Est is a France high-speed rail passenger rail line, which links Paris and Lyon. The inauguration of the first section between Saint-Florentin and Sathonay on 22 September, 1981 marked the beginning of the re-invigoration of French passenger rail service.... . Conventional wheeled absolute record.
403.7 (250.7)	Siemens Velaro E Siemens Velaro Siemens Velaro is a family of Germany high-speed rail multiple units. They are based on Deutsche Bahn's ICE 3 high-speed trains. Unlike the ICE 3, the Velaro is a full Siemens product.... (AVE S-103)	Electric	Between Guadalajara Guadalajara, Spain Guadalajara is a city and municipality in the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile-La Mancha, Spain, and in the natural region of La Alcarria.... and Calatayud Calatayud Calatayud - Arabic: ???? ???? Qal?a? 'Ayyub is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza in Aragon lying on the river Jal?n Spain, in the midst of the Sistema Ib?rico mountain range.Sistema Ib?rico mountain range.... , Spain	between 15 and 16 July 2006	On the Madrid Madrid Madrid is the Capital and largest city of Spain. It is the Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its Madrid metropolitan area is the Largest urban areas of the European Union in the European Union after Paris aire urbaine, Greater London Urban Area, a... -Zaragoza Zaragoza Zaragoza, also called Saragossa in English language, is the capital city of the Zaragoza and of the Autonomous communities of Spain and former Kingdom of Aragon of Aragon, Spain.... AVE AVE Alta Velocidad Espa?ola is a service of high speed trains operating at speeds of up to on dedicated track in Spain. The name is literally translated from Spanish language as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird".... line. See: , .

Maglev

km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	Date	Comments
501	Transrapid Transrapid Transrapid is a Germany high-speed rail monorail using maglev train. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969....	Maglev	Shanghai Maglev Train Shanghai Maglev Train The Shanghai Maglev Train or Shanghai Transrapid is the first commercial high speed train magnetic levitation train line in the world.... , China	2003 November 12	During test run

Average speed, over long distance

Demonstration or other special workings with record average speed over distances of more than 160km (100 miles).

Average speed km/h (mph)	Top speed (km/h)	Distance	Time	Train	Type	Location	From	To	Date	Comments
112 (67.1)	145 (90) claimed	227km (141 miles)	126 min	LNWR No. 790 Hardwicke LNWR Improved Precedent Class The London and North Western Railway Improved Precedent Class or "Jumbo" Class is a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotive originally designed for express passenger work....	Steam	United Kingdom	Crewe	Carlisle	22-23 August 1895	Overnight train
124 (77)	181 (112.4)	1,633 km (1,015 miles)	785 min	Pioneer Zephyr Pioneer Zephyr The *Pioneer Zephyr* is a diesel engine railroad train formed of railroad cars permanently articulated together with Jacobs bogies, built by the Budd Company in 1934 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad , commonly known as the Burlington....	Diesel	United States United States The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...	Denver Denver, Colorado Denver is the Capital and the Colorado municipalities of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains....	Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....	26 May 1934	1,015 miles non-stop in 13 hours 5 minutes.
165 (102.48)	203	316 km	115 min	ETR 200 ETR 200 The ETR 200 is an Italian electric multiple unit introduced in 1936. It achieved the Land_speed_record_for_railed_vehicles#Long_distance in 1939....	Electric	Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....	Florence Florence Florence is the Capital city of the Italy Regions of Italy of Tuscany and of the provinces of Italy Province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of 364,779 ....	Milan Milan Milan is the second largest city of Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. It is the capital in the Province of Milan, as well as the Regions of Italy capital of Lombardy....	20 July 1939	175.8 km/h mean speed between Lavino and Rogoredo (distance 199.147 km).
306.4 (190.3)	367	1,067.2 km	189 min	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....	Calais Calais Calais is a town in northern France in the Departments of France of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....	Marseille Marseille "Marseille" is the second-largest city of France and forms the third-largest aire urbaine, after those of Paris and Lyon, with a population recorded to be 1,516,340 at the 1999 census and estimated to be 1,605,000 in 2007....	26 May 2001	1,000 km record at 317.46 km/h in 3 h 9 min.

Scheduled trains

Average speed, from station to station

Average speed km/h (mph)	Top speed km/h (mph)	Train	Type	Location	From	To	Distance	Date	Comments
115 (71.4)	128.8 (80)	Cheltenham Spa Express Cheltenham Spa Express The Cheltenham Spa Express is a United Kingdom List of named passenger trains service from London Paddington station, in London, to Cheltenham Spa railway station, in Gloucestershire, via Reading railway station, Kemble railway station, Stroud railway station, Stonehouse railway station and Gloucester railway station....	Steam	United Kingdom	Swindon	London	124.45km (77.3 miles)	1932	77.3 miles in 65 minutes. Claimed by the Great Western Railway Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway was a History of rail transport in Great Britain that linked London with the south west and west of England and most of Wales.... at the time to be the world's fastest train.
124 (77.0)	160 (99.4)	"Fliegender Hamburger" DRG Class SVT 877 File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-14151, "Fliegender Hamburger", DRG 778.jpgThe DRG Class SVT 877 Hamburg Flyer ? sometimes also "Flying Hamburger" or in German language Fliegender Hamburger ? was Germany's first fast Diesel multiple unit, and is credited with establishing the fastest regular railway connection in the world in its time....	Diesel-electric Diesel-electric A number of vehicles use a diesel-electric powertrain for providing Motion . A diesel-electric powerplant includes a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator, creating electricity that powers electric motor traction motors....	Germany	Berlin	Hamburg	286 km	1933	DMU Diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines.... , 98 passengers
132.1 (82.0)	160 (99.4)	Mistral	Electric Electricity Electricity is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena such as lightning and static electricity, but in addition, less familiar concepts such as the electromagnetic field and electromagnetic induction....	France	Paris	Dijon	315 km	1964
162.8 (101.1)	210 (130.4)	Hikari Shinkansen Shinkansen File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....	Electric	Japan	Tokyo	Shin-Osaka	515.0 km	1965	stopped at Nagoya and Kyoto Kyoto Sorry, no overview for this topic
163 101.2)	200 (124.2)	Etendard	Electric	France	St-Pierre-des-Corps	Poitiers	100 km	1973	old line, locomotive hauled (CC6500)
214 (132.9)	260 (161.4)	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France	Paris	Lyon-Brotteaux	429 km	1983
261.8 (162.6)	300 (186.3)	Nozomi Shinkansen Shinkansen File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....	Electric	Japan	Hiroshima	Kokura	192.0 km	1997	operated by 500 Series Shinkansen 500 Series Shinkansen The 500 Series Shinkansen are the fastest, most powerful and most expensive trainsets yet to run on Japan's Shinkansen high-speed rail network. They are designed to be capable of 320 km/h although they operate at a maximum of 300 km/h in service....
263.3 (163.3)	320 (198.7)	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France	Lyon-St Exupéry	Aix-en-Provence	289.6 km	2005
279.3 (173.4)	320 (198.7)	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France	Lorraine TGV	Champagne TGV	167.6 km	2007	on new LGV Est LGV Est The LGV Est europ?enne is an extension to the French High-speed rail TGV network, connecting Paris and Strasbourg. It provides fast service between Paris and the principal cities of eastern France and Luxembourg, and several cities in Germany and Switzerland....

Top speed, first attained

Conventional wheeled

Top speed (km/h)	Average speed (km/h)	Train	Type	Location	From	To	Distance	Date
210	128.9	Hikari Shinkansen Shinkansen File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....	Electric	Japan	Tokyo	Shin-Osaka	515 km	1964
260	-	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France	Paris	Lyon-Brotteaux	430 km	1981
270	-	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France	Paris	Lyon-Brotteaux	430 km	1983
300	-	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France	Paris	Le Mans	202 km	1989
320	-	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France	Avignon-TGV	Aix-en-Provence-TGV	74 km	2005
350	240	CRH3 China Railways CRH3 The CRH3 is a high-speed train used on the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail line in China. Produced with Siemens Velaro technology, it is capable of service speed of 350 km/h....	Electric	China	Beijing South	Tianjin	117 km	2008

Maglev

Top speed (km/h)	Average speed (km/h)	Train	Type	Location	From	To	Distance	Date
431	245.5	Shanghai Maglev Train Shanghai Maglev Train The Shanghai Maglev Train or Shanghai Transrapid is the first commercial high speed train magnetic levitation train line in the world....	Maglev Maglev train MAGLEV, or magnetic levitation, is a system of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles, predominantly trains, using levitation from a very large number of magnets for lift and propulsion....	China	Shanghai Pudong Airport	Shanghai Longyang Road	30 km	2003

Average speed, between terminating stations

Average speed (km/h)	Train	Type	Location	From	To	Distance	Date	Comments
242.5	Nozomi Shinkansen Shinkansen File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....	Electric	Japan	Shin-Osaka	Hakata	554 km	1997	conventional wheeled
250	TGV TGV The TGV is France's high-speed rail service. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, the French national rail transport operations, and is now operated primarily by SNCF....	Electric	France	Paris-Lyon	Marseille St-Charles	750 km	2001...	conventional wheeled

Rocket sled

Top speed (km/h)	Type	Location	Date	Comments
1017	Rocket sled Rocket sled A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets. They were used extensively by the United States early in the Cold War to accelerate equipment considered too experimental for testing directly in piloted aircraft....	Holloman Air Force Base Holloman Air Force Base Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, New Mexico, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, New Mexico, United States.... (USA)	10 December 1954	Manned by John Stapp John Stapp John Paul Stapp, M.D., Ph.D., Colonel, USAF was a career U.S. Air Force officer, USAF flight surgeon and pioneer in studying the effects of acceleration and deceleration forces on humans.... . Fastest manned rocket-sled. Fastest manned rail vehicle. Fastest manned open-cockpit vehicle.
4972	Rocket sled Rocket sled A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets. They were used extensively by the United States early in the Cold War to accelerate equipment considered too experimental for testing directly in piloted aircraft....	New Mexico (USA)	1959	Unmanned. It ran on SNORT (Supersonic Naval Ordnance Track).
9845	Rocket sled Rocket sled A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets. They were used extensively by the United States early in the Cold War to accelerate equipment considered too experimental for testing directly in piloted aircraft....	Holloman Air Force Base Holloman Air Force Base Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, New Mexico, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, New Mexico, United States.... (USA)	October 1982	Unmanned. It blasted a 25-pound payload to a speed of 6119 mph.
10430	Rocket sled Rocket sled A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets. They were used extensively by the United States early in the Cold War to accelerate equipment considered too experimental for testing directly in piloted aircraft....	Holloman Air Force Base Holloman Air Force Base Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, New Mexico, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, New Mexico, United States.... (USA)	30 April 2003	Unmanned. It was the final stage of a four-stage sled train, which included the sled, a Super Roadrunner rocket motor, and a 192-pound payload on top. The sled train delivered payload into a target at a velocity of 9465 feet per second, or 6453 mph (2885 m/s), or Mach 8.5.

External links

Railway Gazette International
Railway Gazette International

Railway Gazette International is a monthly business journal covering the railway, rapid transit, light rail and tram industries worldwide. Available by annual subscription, the magazine is read in over 140 countries by transport professionals and decision makers, railway managers, consultants and suppliers to the rail industry....
September 2007

Land speed record for railed vehicles

Conventional wheeled

Electric multiple units

Electric locomotives

Third railThird railA third rail is a method of providing electricity to power a rail transport through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails.... electric

Fourth rail electric

Gas turbine

Diesel

Petrol

Steam

Jet

Rocket

Narrow gauge

Hovertrain

Maglev

Unmanned, other propulsion

Relative passing speed between two trains

Unmodified (commercially operated)

Top speed

Conventional wheeled

Maglev

Average speed, over long distance

Scheduled trains

Average speed, from station to station

Top speed, first attained

Conventional wheeled

Maglev

Average speed, between terminating stations

Rocket sled

See also

External links

Third rail
Third rail

A third rail is a method of providing electricity to power a rail transport through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails....
electric