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Determination of the fastest rail vehicle in the world varies depending on the definition of "rail".
Contents
- World speed records
- All passenger trains
- Conventional wheeled
- Electric
- Fuel electric
- Fuel mechanic
- Steam
- World fastest point to point average speeds in commercial operations
- References
The world record for manned passenger trains is held by the L0 Series, having achieved 603 km/h (375 mph) on a 42.8 km magnetic-levitation track in April 2015.
The world record for conventional wheeled manned passenger trains is held by France specially tuned TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse). Reduced to three cars with higher voltage, larger wheels and higher-tension pantograph wires, it broke the world record in April 2007, reaching 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph) on a 140 km section of track.
The fastest manned rail vehicle was a manned rocket sled, which carried USAF Colonel John Stapp at 1,017 km/h (632 mph).
Unmanned rocket sleds that ride on rails have reached over 10,400 km/h (6,460 mph), equivalent to Mach 8.5.
World speed records
Legend :
All passenger trains
The following is a complete list of absolute world speed records for all trains designed to carry passengers, regardless of gauge, propulsion or type of rail,
Conventional wheeled
The following is a list of verified absolute world speed records for conventional wheeled rail vehicles.
Electric
The following is a list of speed records for rail vehicles with electric traction motors and powered by electricity transferred to the train.
Fuel-electric
The following is a list of speed records for rail vehicles with on-board fuel to generate electricity for traction motors such as diesel-electric locomotive, diesel electric multiple unit and gas turbine-electric locomotive trains.
Fuel-mechanic
The following is a list of speed records for rail vehicles with on-board fuel to mechanical energy to drive vehicle's wheels such as diesel-hydraulic trains and gas turbine locomotive trains that use mechanical transmission to power the drive wheels.
Steam
The following is a list of speed records for steam locomotives.
The following is a list of speed records for rail vehicles that use air propulsion to move rail vehicles while the wheels are rolling along the track.
Using an air cushion and a Monorail, the Aérotrain set on 5 March 1974 a mean speed of 417.6 km/h (259.5 mph) and a peak speed of 430.4 km/h (267.4 mph).
World fastest point-to-point average speeds in commercial operations
The following are the lists of world record average operating speeds between two stations. The average speeds are measured by the total time and the distance between the two stations.
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