HIGH SPEED TRAINS

High-speed rail

"High speed train" redirects here. For an article about the 'High Speed Train' in the United
Kingdom, see.

For the term 'higher speed rail' for services with speeds less than 241.4 km/h (150 mph),
High-speed rail is a type of rail transport that operates significantly faster than traditional rail
traffic, using an integrated system of specialized rolling stock and dedicated tracks. The first
such system began operations in Japan in 1964 and was widely known as the bullet train. High-
speed trains normally operate on standard gauge tracks of continuously welded rail on grade
separated right-of-way that incorporates a large turning radius in its design.

Many countries have developed high-speed rail to connect major cities, including China, France,
Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey, South Korea and Spain. As of 2011 the maximum commercial
speed on most high-speed rail lines was about 300 km/h (186 mph).

While high-speed rail is usually designed for passenger travel, some high-speed systems also
offer freight service. For instance, the French mail service La Poste owns a few special TGV
trains for carrying postal freight.
Contents

 1 Definitions
 2 History
 3 Network
 4 Rolling stock
 5 Comparison with other modes of transport
 6 Accidents
 7 Maximum speed
 8 Markets
Definitions

Multiple definitions for high-speed rail are in use worldwide.

 The European Union Directive 96/48/EC, Annex 1 defines high-speed rail as a set of
three elements with precise criteria:

1. Infrastructure: track built specially for high-speed travel or specially upgraded

for high-speed travel.
2. Maximum Speed Limit: Minimum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) on lines
specially built for high speed and 200 km/h (124 mph) on existing lines which
have been specially upgraded. This must apply to at least one section of the line.
Rolling stock must have a maximum speed of at least 200 km/h to be considered
high speed.
3. Operating conditions: Rolling stock must be designed alongside its
infrastructure for complete compatibility, safety and quality of service.[1]

 The International Union of Railways (UIC) prefers to use "definitions" (plural) because
they consider that there is no single standard definition of high-speed rail, nor even
standard usage of the terms ("high speed", or "very high speed"). They make use of the
European EC Directive 96/48, stating that high speed is a combination of all the elements
which constitute the system: infrastructure, rolling stock and operating conditions.[1]

 Some nations[which?] have domestic standards which may vary from the international ones.

The International Union of Railways states that high-speed rail is a set of unique features, not
merely a train travelling above a particular speed. Many conventionally hauled trains are able to
reach 200 km/h (124 mph) in commercial service but are not considered to be high-speed trains.
These include the French SNCF Intercités and German DB IC.
History

Railways were the first form of rapid land transportation and had an effective monopoly on
passenger traffic until the development of the motor car and airliners in the early-mid 20th
century. Speed had always been an important factor for railroads and they constantly tried to
achieve higher speeds and decrease journey times. Rail transportation in the late 19th Century
was not much slower than non high-speed trains today and many railroads regularly operated
relatively fast express trains which averaged speeds of around 100 km/h (62 mph).[2]

Early research

The German 1903 record holder

The German Fliegender Hamburger

Burlington Zephyr passenger train

The Italian ETR 200.

First experiments

High-speed rail development began in Germany in 1899 when the Prussian state railway joined
with ten electrical and engineering firms and electrified 72 kilometres (45 mi) of military owned
railway between Marienfelde and Zossen. The line used three-phase current at 10 kilovolts and
45 Hz.

The Van der Zypen & Charlier company of Deutz, Cologne built two railcars, one fitted with
electrical equipment from Siemens-Halske, the second with equipment from Allgemeine
Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG), that were tested on the Marienfelde–Zossen line during 1902
and 1903.

On 23 October 1903, the S&H-equipped railcar achieved a speed of 206.7 km/h (128.4 mph) and
on 27 October the AEG-equipped railcar achieved 210.2 km/h (130.6 mph).[3]
These trains demonstrated the feasibility of electric high-speed rail however regularly scheduled
electric high-speed rail travel was still more than 30 years away.

Early German high-speed network

On May 15, 1933, the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft company introduced the diesel-
powered "Fliegender Hamburger" in regular service between Hamburg and Berlin (286 km),
thereby establishing the fastest regular service in the world, with a regular top speed of 160 km/h
(99 mph).
This train was a streamlined multi-powered unit, albeit diesel, and used Jakobs bogies some 47
years before the advent of the TGV.

Following the success of the Hamburg line, the steam-powered Henschel-Wegmann Train was
developed and introduced in June 1936 for service from Berlin to Dresden, with a regular top
speed of 160 km/h (100 mph).
Further development allowed the usage of these "Fliegenden Züge" (flying trains) on a rail
network across Germany.[4] The "Diesel-Schnelltriebwagen-Netz" had been in the planning since
1934 but it never reached its envisaged size.

And in August 1939, shortly before the breakout of the war, all high speed service stopped.[5]

The American Streamliners

On 26 May 1934, one year after Fliegender Hamburger introduction, the Burlington Railroad's
set an average speed record on long distance with their new streamlined train, the Zephyr, at
124 km/h (77 mph) with peaks at 185 km/h (115 mph). The Zephyr was made of stainless steel,
and like the Fliegender Hamburger, was diesel powered, articulated with Jacobs bogies, and
could reach 160 km/h (99 mph) as commercial speed.

The new service was inaugurated at the end of year, 11 November 1934, between Kansas City
and Lincoln, but at lower speed than the record, with an average speed of 74 km/h (46 mph).[6]
In 1935, Milwaukee Road company introduced the Morning Hiawatha service, hauled at
160 km/h (99 mph) by steam locomotives : these are the last "high-speed" trains to use the steam
power.

In 1936, the Twin Cities Zephyr entered service, from Chicago to Minneapolis, with an average
speed of 101 km/h (63 mph).[7]

The Italian electric and the last steam record

The German high speed service was followed in Italy in 1938 with an electric-multiple-unit ETR
200, designed for 200 km/h (124 mph), between Bologna and Naples. It too reached 160 km/h
(99 mph) in commercial service, and achieved a world mean speed record of 203 km/h
(126 mph) near Milan in 1938.

In Great Britain in the same year, the streamlined steam locomotive Mallard achieved the
official world speed record for steam locomotives at 125.88 mph (202.58 km/h).
The external combustion engines and boilers on steam locomotives were large, heavy and time
consuming to maintain, and the days of steam for high speed were numbered.

The birth of Talgo system

In 1945 a Spanish engineer, Alejandro Goicoechea, developed a streamlined articulated train

able to run on existing tracks at higher speeds than contemporary passenger trains. This was
achieved by providing the locomotive and cars with a unique axle system that used one axle set
per car end, connected by a Y-bar coupler. Amongst other advantages, the centre of mass was
only half as high as usual.[8] This system became famous under the name of Talgo (Tren
Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol), and for half a century was the main Spanish provider of
high-speed trains.
The first very-high-speed records

The French CC 7100, 1955 record holder

In the early 1950s, the French National Railway started to receive their new powerful CC 7100
electric locomotives, and began to study and evaluate running at very high speeds. In 1954, the
CC 7121 hauling a full train achieved a record 243 km/h (151 mph) during a test on standard
track.
The next year, two specially tuned electric locomotives, the CC 7107 and the prototype BB 9001,
broke previous speed records, reaching respectively 320 km/h (199 mph) and 331 km/h
(206 mph), again on standard track.[9]
For the first time, the 300 km/h (186 mph) was surpassed, allowing the idea of feasibility of very
high-speed services.

New engineering studies began for this purpose. Especially, during the 1955 records, very
dangerous hunting oscillation, the swaying of the bogies which at high speed leads to dynamic
instability and potential derailment, were discovered, and led to the use of yaw dampers to solve
this problem, enabling safe running speeds above 300 km/h (186 mph) today. Important research
was also made about "current harnessing" at high-speed by the pantographs, that was solved 20
years later by the Zébulon TGV's prototype.

In the United States, immediately following the creation of Japan's first high-speed Shinkansen,
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his Great Society infrastructure building initiatives
asked the U.S. Congress to devise a way to increase speeds on American railroads.[16] The
congress delivered the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 which passed with
overwhelming bi-partisan support and helped to create regular Metroliner service between New
York City and Washington, D.C.. The new service was inaugurated in 1969, at speeds reaching
200 km/h (125 mph) and averaging 145 km/h (90 mph) along the route, faster than even Acela
Express trains operated between the cities of New York and Washington in 2012.[17]

The HST: a diesel high-speed train at 200 km/h

Great Britain followed Japan, France and U.S. in 1976 with the introduction by British Rail of a
new high-speed service, able to reach 200 km/h (124 mph), hauled by the "InterCity 125" diesel-
electric train sets, under the brand name of High Speed Train (HST). It was the fastest diesel-
powered train in regular service in the world, and it outclassed its 100 mph (161 km/h)
forerunners, in speed and acceleration.

Like the Shinkansen, and future TGV, the train was built as a reversible multi-car set, having
driving power-cars at both ends, and a fixed formation of passenger cars between them. Journey
times were reduced, sometimes by an hour on the East Coast Main Line, and passenger numbers
soared.

Active research[edit]

Following the 1955 records, two divisions of the SNCF began to study high speed services. In
1964, the DETMT (petrol-engine traction studies department of SNCF) planned the use of gas
turbines : a diesel-powered railcar is modified with a gas-turbine, and is called "TGV"
(Turbotrain Grande Vitesse).[9] It reached 230 km/h (143 mph) in 1967, and served as a basis for
the future Turbotrain and the real TGV.

In the same time, the new "SNCF Research Department", created in 1966, was studying some
projects, especially a project code-named "C03": "Railways possibilities on new infrastructure
(tracks)".[9]

In 1969, the "C03 project" is transferred to the public administration while a contract with
Alsthom is ratified for the building of two gas-turbine high-speed train prototypes, that will be
named "TGV 001".
The prototype consisted of an undividable set of 5 cars and 2 power-cars at both end, each
power-car powered by two gas-turbine engine. The notable particularity of the set is the use of
Jakobs bogies, shared by two cars, that reduce drag and increase safety.

The next year, in 1970, the DETMT's Turbotrain, gas-turbine powered multiple-elements,
designed for 200 km/h (124 mph) but used at 160 km/h (99 mph) began operations on Paris-
Cherbourg line. It allowed to experiment future TGV services, especially regular high rate
schedules, shuttle services, etc.[9]

The C03 Project

In 1971, the "C03" project, now known as "TGV Sud-Est", is validated by the government,
against the Bertin's Aerotrain.[9] Until this date, there was a rivalry between the French Land
Settlement Commission (DATAR), supporting the Aérotrain, and the SNCF and its ministry,
supporting the conventional rail.
The "C03 project" projected the building a new High-Speed line between Paris and Lyon, with a
new multi-powered-elements train running at 260 km/h (162 mph).
Indeed, at that time, the classic Paris-Lyon line is already heavily saturated, a new line is
required, and this very loaded corridor, not too short (where car is preferred) nor too long (where
planes are better), is the best choice for the new service.

Turnaround: electricity

The 1973 oil shock substantially increases oil prices. In the continuity of the De Gaulle "energy
self-sufficiency" and Nuclear-energy policy, a ministry decision switched the future TGV from
now costly gas-turbine to full electric energy in 1974. Because of this new orientation, an electric
railcar is heavily tuned for testings at very high speeds. Named Zébulon, it reached 306 km/h
(190 mph), and, among other, allowed the creation of pantographs sustaining over 300 km/h
(186 mph).
The TGV: the first service above 250 km/h

After intensive tests with the gas-turbine "TGV 001" prototype, and the electric "Zébulon", in
1977, the SNCF placed an order to the group Alsthom-Francorail-MTE for 87 TGV Sud-Est
trainsets.[9] They reuse the "TGV 001" concept, with an undividable set of eight cars, sharing
"Jakobs bogies", and hauled by two electric power-cars, one at each end.

In 1981, the first section of the new Paris-Lyon High-Speed line was inaugurated, with a
260 km/h (162 mph) top speed (then 270 km/h (168 mph) soon after).

With a far greater top speed, a new dedicated high-speed line, and a complete compatibility with
existing old lines, the TGV offers the ability to join every city in the country, using alternatively
standard and high-speed line, in a shorter time than ever.[9]

After the introduction of the TGV on some routes, air traffic on these routes decreased, or even
disappeared.[9]

At the same time, the TGV made history with its multiple, highly publicized speed records: in
1981 with a record at 380 km/h (236 mph), in 1990 at 515 km/h (320 mph), and then in 2007 at
574 km/h (357 mph).

Evolution in North America

In 1992, the United States Congress authorized the Amtrak Authorization and Development Act
to focus on Amtrak's service improvement on the segment between Boston and New York City
of the Northeast Corridor. The primary objectives were to electrify the line north of New Haven,
Connecticut and replace the then 30-year-old Metroliners with new trains to achieve shorter
travel time.

Amtrak started testing two trains, the Swedish X2000 and the German ICE 1, in the same year
along its fully electrified segment between New York City and Washington DC. The officials
favored the X2000 as it had a tilting mechanism. However, the Swedish manufacturer never bid
on the contract as the burdensome United States railroad regulations required them to heavily
modify the train resulting in added weight among other things. Eventually, a custom-made tilting
train derived from TGV, manufactured by Alstom and Bombardier, won the contract and was put
into service in December 2000.

The new service was named "Acela Express" and linked Boston, New York City, Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Washington DC. The service does not meet the 3-hour travel time objective,
between Boston and New York City. The time is 3 hours and 24 minutes as it partially runs on
regular lines which limit its average speed, with a maximum speed of 241 km/h (150 mph) being
reached on a small section of its route through Rhode Island and Massachusetts.[21][22]

Expansion in East Asia

For four decades from its opening in 1964, the Japanese Shinkansen was the only high speed rail
service outside of Europe. In the 2000s a number of new high speed rail services started
operating in East Asia.

The South Korean KTX

The Korean developed KTX Sancheon.

In South Korea, Korea Train Express (KTX) services were launched on 1 April 2004, on the
Seoul-Busan corridor, Korea's busiest traffic corridor, between the two largest cities. In 1982, it
represented 65.8% of South Korea's population, a number that grew to 73.3% by 1995, along
with 70% of freight traffic and 66% of passenger traffic. With both the Gyeongbu Expressway
and Korail's Gyeongbu Line congested as of the late 1970s, the government saw the pressing
need for another form of transportation.[23]
Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992 with the first
commercial service launching in 2004. Top speed for trains in regular service is currently
305 km/h (190 mph), though the infrastructure is designed for 350 km/h (217 mph). The initial
rolling stock was based on Alstom's TGV Réseau, and was partly built in Korea. The
domestically developed HSR-350x, which achieved 352.4 km/h (219.0 mph) in tests, resulted in
a second type of high-speed trains now operated by Korail, the KTX Sancheon. The next
generation KTX train, HEMU-430X, achieved 421.4 km/h (262 mph) in 2013, making South
Korea the world's fourth country after France, Japan and China to develop a high-speed train
running on conventional rail above 420 km/h (261 mph).

Maps

Operational high-speed lines in Europe

Operational high-speed lines in East Asia

310–320 km/h (193–199 mph) 270–300 km/h (168–186 mph) 250 km/h (155 mph)
200–230 km/h (124–143 mph) Under construction Other railways
High-speed line on a viaduct to avoid ramp and road-crossing

As defined by Europe and UIC, generally the high-speed rail is a set including a high-speed
rolling-stock and a dedicated high-speed line.

Japan was the first nation to build a totally new and dedicated lines and network for its
Shinkansen. It was followed by France, then Germany, Spain, etc. Most countries today with
high-speed rail have dedicated high-speed tracks. Notable exceptions are the USA and Russia.

In certain cases, in particular in England in the 1970s for the HST, and in China recently, classic
old lines have been upgraded to support new high-speed trains, often up to 200 km/h (124 mph).
For unconventional trains, such as Aérotrains and Maglev, the use of viaduct-dedicated tracks is

A German high-speed line, with tracks directly on concrete tiles.

Continuous welded rail is generally used to reduce track vibrations and misalignment. Almost all
high-speed lines are electrically driven via overhead cables, have in-cab signalling, and use
advanced switches using very low entry and frog angles.
Constrictions, such as at-grade crossings, where lines intersect other lines and/or roadways are
eliminated. For this reason, Japan and China typically build their high-speed lines on elevated
viaducts.

High-speed lines avoid tight curves, which reduce speed. Curve radius is typically above 4.5
kilometres (2.8 mi), and for lines supporting 350 km/h (217 mph) speeds, typically at 7 to 9
kilometres (4.3 to 5.6 mi).

The lines may rest on traditional sleeper and ballast or on concrete tiles and fences prevent
access to the tracks on foot.

Road-rail parallel layout

A German high-speed line being built along a highway

Road Rail Parallel Layout uses land beside highways for railway lines. Examples include
Paris/Lyon and Köln - Frankfurt in which 15% and 70% of the track runs beside highways,
respectivel
Costruction costs

Japanese systems are often more expensive than their counterparts, because they run on
dedicated elevated guideways, avoid traffic crossings and incorporate disaster monitoring
systems. The largest part of Japan's cost is for boring tunnels through mountains, as was also true
in Taiwan.

In France, the cost of construction (which was €10 million/km (US$15.1 million/km) for LGV
Est) is minimized by adopting steeper grades rather than building tunnels and viaducts. However,
in mountainous Switzerland, tunnels are inevitable. Because the lines are dedicated to
passengers, gradients of 3.5%, rather than the previous maximum of 1–1.5% for mixed traffic,
are used. More expensive land may be required in order to minimize curves. This increases
speed, reduces construction costs and lowers operating and maintenance costs. In other countries
high-speed rail was built without those economies so that the railway can also support other
traffic, such as freight.

Experience has shown however, that running trains of significantly different speeds on one line
substantially decreases capacity. As a result, mixed-traffic lines usually reserve daytime for high-
speed trains and run freight at night.

Comparison with other modes of transport

Optimal distance

While commercial high-speed trains have lower maximum speeds than jet aircraft, they offer
shorter total trip times than air travel for short distances. They typically connect city centre rail
stations to each other, while air transport connects airports that are typically farther from city
centres.
High-speed rail (HSR) is best suited for journeys of 2 to 4½ hours (about 250–900 km or 160–
560 mi), for which the train can beat air and car trip time.[citation needed] For trips under about
650 km (400 mi), the process of checking in and going through airport security, as well as
traveling to and from the airport, makes the total air journey time equal to or slower than
HSR.[citation needed] European authorities treat HSR as competitive with passenger air for HSR trips
under 4½ hours.[32]

HSR eliminated most air transport from between Paris-Brussels, Cologne-Frankfurt, Nanjing-
Wuhan, Chongqing-Chengdu,[33] Tokyo-Nagoya, Tokyo-Sendai and Tokyo-Niigata. China
Southern Airlines, China's largest airline, expects the construction of China's high speed railway
network to impact[clarification needed] 25% of its route network in the coming years.[34]

Market shares

European data indicate that air traffic is more sensitive than road traffic (car and bus) to
competition from HSR, at least on journeys of 400 km (249 mi) and more – perhaps because cars
and buses are far more flexible than planes. TGV Sud-Est reduced the travel time Paris–Lyon
from almost four to about two hours. Market share rose from 49 to 72%. Air and road market
shares shrunk from 31 to 7% and from 29 to 21%, respectively. On the Madrid–Sevilla link, the
AVE connection increased share from 16 to 52%; air traffic shrunk from 40 to 13%; road traffic
from 44 to 36%, hence the rail market amounted to 80% of combined rail and air traffic.[35] This
figure increased to 89% in 2009, according to Spanish rail operator RENFE.[36]

According to Peter Jorritsma, the rail market share s, as compared to planes, can be computed
approximately as a function of the travelling time in minutes t by the formula[37]

According to this formula, a journey time of three hours yields 65% market share. However,
market shares are also influenced by ticket prices. Some air carriers regained market shares by
slashing prices.[38]
Energy efficiency

Travel by rail is more competitive in areas of higher population density or where gasoline is
expensive, because conventional trains are more fuel-efficient than cars when ridership is high,
similar to other forms of mass transit. Very few high-speed trains consume diesel or other fossil
fuels but the power stations that provide electric trains with power can consume fossil fuels. In
Japan and France, with very extensive high speed rail networks, a large proportion of electricity
comes from nuclear power.[39] On the Eurostar, which primarily runs off the French grid,
emissions from travelling by train from London to Paris are 90% lower than by flying.[40] Even
using electricity generated from coal or oil, high speed trains are significantly more fuel-efficient
per passenger per kilometer traveled than the typical automobile because of economies of scale
in generator technology.[41] Rail networks, like highways, require large fixed capital investments
and thus require a blend of high density and government investment to be competitive against
existing capital infrastructure

Automobile and buses

High-speed rail can accommodate more passengers at far higher speeds than automobiles.

Generally, the longer the journey, the better the time advantage of rail over road if going to the
same destination. However, high-speed rail can be competitive with cars on shorter distances,
50–150 kilometres (30–90 mi), for example for commuting, given road congestion or expensive
parking fees.

Moreover, typical passenger rail carries 2.83 times as many passengers per hour per meter
(width) as a road. A typical capacity is the Eurostar, which runs 15 trains per hour[dubious – discuss]
and 800 passengers per train, totaling 12,000 passengers per hour in each direction. By contrast,
the Highway Capacity Manual gives a maximum capacity of 2,250 passenger cars per hour per
lane, excluding other vehicles. Assuming an average vehicle occupancy of 1.57 people.[42] A
standard twin track railway has a typical capacity 13% greater than a 6-lane highway (3 lanes
each way)[citation needed], while requiring only 40% of the land (1.0/3.0 versus 2.5/7.5 hectares per
kilometer of direct/indirect land consumption)[citation needed]. The Tokaido Shinkansen line in
Japan, has a much higher ratio (with as many as 20,000 passengers per hour per direction).
Similarly commuter roads tend to carry fewer than 1.57 persons per vehicle (Washington State
Department of Transportation, for instance, uses 1.2 persons per vehicle) during commute times.

Advantages over air travel[edit]

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Although air transit has higher speeds of travel, users must include additional time for check-in,
baggage handling, security, boarding, and taxiing. Furthermore, rail stations are typically closer
to urban centers than airports. When considering both processing and travel time to airport or
station, the speed advantage of air travel for mid-distance trips becomes significantly offset.

Rail travel also has less weather dependency than air travel. If the rail system is well-designed
and well-operated, severe weather conditions such as heavy snow, heavy fog, and storms do not
affect the journeys; flights generally face cancellations or delays under such conditions.
Nevertheless, snow, wind and flooding can delay trains.

High-speed trains also have comfort advantages. For example, train passengers can move freely
about the train at any point in the journey. The seats are also less subject to weight restrictions
than planes, and as such tend to have more padding and legroom. Furthermore, technology
advances such as continuously welded rail have minimized vibration and jerking found on
slower railways. Air travel, in contrast, can face turbulence if adverse wind conditions arise.

Another advantage trains have is the ability to accommodate multiple itineraries on single trains.
While some trains are nonstop, the flexibility added with intermediate stops would dramatically
increase air travel times relative to HSR.
Safety

HSR is much simpler to control due to its predictable course. High-speed rail systems reduce
(but do not eliminate)[43][44] collisions with automobiles or people, by using non-grade level track
and eliminating grade level crossings.

Accidents

The followings are notable accidents involving high-speed trains:

The 1998 Eschede accident

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and removed. (July 2013)

In 1998, after over thirty years of high speed rail operations worldwide without fatal accidents,
the Eschede accident occurred in Germany: a poorly designed ICE 1 wheel broke at 200 km/h
(124 mph) near Eschede, resulting in the derailment and destruction of almost the entire full set
of 16 cars and the subsequent death toll of 101 people.[citation needed]

The 2011 Wenzhou accident

On 23 July 2011, 13 years after the Eschede train accident, a Chinese CRH2 traveling at
100 km/h (62 mph) collided with a CRH1 which was stopped on a viaduct in the suburbs of
Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China. The two trains derailed, and four cars fell off the viaduct.
40 people were killed, at least 192 were injured, 12 of which were severe injuries.[45]

The disaster led to a number of changes in management and exploitation of high-speed rail in
China. Despite the fact that high speed was not a factor in the accident, one of the major changes
was the lowering by 50 km/h (31 mph) of all maximum speeds in China HST, 350 km/h
(217 mph) becoming 300, 250 km/h (155 mph) becoming 200, and 200 km/h (124 mph)
becoming 160.[46][47]
The 2013 Santiago de Compostela accident

Main article: Santiago de Compostela derailment

In July 2013, a high-speed train in Spain attempted to round a curve which had a speed limit of
80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) at 190 kilometres per hour (120 mph), leading to 78
fatalities.[48] Normally high-speed rail has automatic speed limiting restrictions, but this track
section is a conventional section and in this case the automatic speed limit was disabled several
kilometers before the station. Two days after the accident, the driver was provisionally charged
with homicide by negligence. This is the first accident that occurred with a Spanish high-speed
train, but it occurred in a section that was not high speed.[49]

Maximum speed

MLX01 magnetic-levitation train, unconventional speed record holder (581 km/h or 361.0 mph)

V150 train, modified TGV, conventional world speed record holder (574.8 km/h or 357.2 mph)
There are several definitions of "maximum speed" :

 The maximum speed at which a train is allowed to run by law or policy in daily service
(MOR)
 The maximum speed at which an unmodified train is proved to be capable of running.
 The maximum speed at which specially modified train is proved to be capable of running.

Absolute speed record

Conventional rail

Since the 1955 record, France has nearly continuously held the absolute world speed record. The
latest record is held by a SNCF TGV POS trainset, which reached 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph) in
2007, on the newly constructed LGV Est high-speed line. This run was for proof of concept and
engineering, not to test normal passenger service.

Unlike the unconventional records, the TGV records have been made by heavily tuned trains,
modified from commercial service trains.

Unconventional rail

Speed record for experimental unconventional passenger train was set by the MLX01 manned
"magnetic-levitation" train at 581 km/h (361 mph) in 2003.

The record for railed vehicles is 10,325 km/h (6,416 mph) by an unmanned rocket sled by the
United States Air Force.

Maximum speed in service

Conventional rail[

The fastest operating conventional trains are the French TGV POS, German ICE 3, and Japanese
E5 Series Shinkansen with a maximum commercial speed of 320 km/h (199 mph), the former
two on some French high-speed lines,[citation needed] and the latter on a part of Tohoku Shinkansen
line.[50]

In Spain, on the Madrid–Barcelona HSL, maximum speed is 310 km/h (193 mph).[citation needed]

Since July 2011, in China, the maximum speed is officially 300 km/h (186 mph), but a 10 km/h
(6 mph) tolerance is accepted, and trains often reach 310 km/h (193 mph).[citation needed] Before
that, from August 2008 to July 2011, China Railway High-speed trains hold the highest
commercial operating speed record with 350 km/h (217 mph) on some lines (Beijing–Tianjin
Intercity Railway, Wuhan–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway). Due to high costs and safety
concerns the top speeds in China were reduced to 300 km/h (186 mph) on 1 July 2011]

Unconventional rail

The Shanghai Maglev Train reaches 431 km/h (268 mph) during its daily service on its 30 km
(19 mi) dedicated line, holding the speed record for commercial train service.