We continue to talk about unusual things and next up are devices whose value can hardly be overestimated - trains!
The history of trains in general is a hymn to speed and reliability, passing through intrigue and a huge amount of money, but we are interested in the 10 fastest trains of our time.
The world of trains looks unusual today, this is due to the fact that since 1979, the classic rail train has been joined by its highly technological brothers, machines from the future - “Maglevs” (from the English magnetic levitation - “magnetic levitation”). Hovering proudly above the magnetic surface and driven by the latest advances in superconductors, they could become the transport of the future. In view of this, for each we will indicate the type of train and under what conditions the record was obtained, because somewhere on board the express there were no passengers, somewhere even drivers.
1. Shinkansen
The world speed record belongs to the Japanese maglev train; on April 21, 2015, at a special section during testing in Yamanashi Prefecture, the train was able to reach a speed of 603 kilometers per hour, with only the driver on board. This is simply an incredible number!
Test video:
Adding to the insane speed is the amazing silence of this super train; the absence of wheels makes the ride comfortable and surprisingly smooth.
Today, the Shinkansen is one of the fastest trains on commercial routes, with a speed of 443 km/h.
2. TGV POS
The first fastest among rail trains, but the second overall, on the planet (as of 2015) is the French TGV POS. The amazing thing is that at the time the speed record was recorded, the train was accelerated to an impressive figure of 574.8 km/h, while journalists and service personnel were on board!
But even taking into account the world record, the speed of the train when moving on commercial routes does not exceed 320 km/h.
3. Shanghai Maglev Train
Next, we have third place given to China with their Shanghai Maglev Train, as the name implies, this train plays in the category of wizards hanging in a powerful magnetic field. This incredible maglev maintains a speed of 431 km/h for 90 seconds (during this time it manages to swallow 10.5 kilometers!), which reaches the maximum speed of this composition, during testing it was able to accelerate to 501 km/h.
4. CRH380A
Another record comes from China, the train with the incredibly euphonious name “CRH380A” took an honorable fourth place. The maximum speed on the route, as the name implies, is 380 km/h, and the maximum recorded result is 486.1 km/h. It is noteworthy that this high-speed train was assembled and launched entirely based on Chinese production facilities. The train carries almost 500 passengers, and boarding is similar to an airplane.
5. TR-09
Location: Germany – maximum speed 450 km/h. Name TR-09.
Number five is from the country of the fastest roads - autobahns, and if in terms of speed on the roads Germany can really be classified as the fastest country, then trains are far from number 1.
6. KTX2
In sixth place is a train from South Korea. The KTX2, as the Korean bullet train is called, was able to reach 352 km/h, but currently the top speed on commercial routes is limited to 300 km/h.
7. THSR 700T
The next hero, although not the fastest train on the planet, still deserves special applause, the reason for this is the impressive capacity of 989 passengers! considered one of the most spacious and fastest modes of transport.
8. AVETalgo-350
We arrive at the eighth place and stop in Spain, we are on board the AVETalgo-350 (Alta Velocidad Española) nicknamed “Platypus”. The nickname stems from the aerodynamic appearance of the leading carriage (well, you can see for yourself), but no matter how funny our hero looks, his speed of 330 km/h gives him the right to participate in our rating!
9. Eurostar Train
9th place Eurostar Train - France, the train is not so fast 300 km/h (not far from our Sapsan), but the capacity of the train is impressive 900 passengers. By the way, it was on this train that the participants of the famous TV show Top Gear (now deceased, if you love it like me, thumbs up!) in season 4, episode 1, they competed with the amazing Aston Martin DB9.
10. Peregrine Falcon
In 10th place, of course, you need to put the Italian “ETR 500” with its good 300 km/h, but I would like to put our quite fast Sapsan. Although the current operational speed of this train is limited to 250 km/h, its modernization (and rather the modernization of its routes) will allow the train to travel at a speed of 350 km/h. At the moment, this is impossible for many reasons, one of them is the vortex effect, which can knock an adult off his feet at a distance of 5 meters from the tracks. Sapsan also sets a funny record - it is the widest high-speed train in the world. Although the train is built on a Siemens platform, due to the wider gauge used in Russia, 1520 mm, versus the European one of 1435 mm, it became possible to increase the width of the car by 300 mm, this makes Sapsan the most “pot-bellied” bullet train.
Have a safe journey!
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