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Railway speed record

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4468 Mallard at the National Railway Museum at York.
JR-Maglev MLX01 at Yamanashi.
Unmodified train record. Siemens Velaro at Barcelona
OMEG «Crown Prince» ran 86 mph - the fastest 0.6 gauge rail car.[1].

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

The Japanese JR-Maglev is the fastest non-conventional train in the world, having achieved 581 km/h (361 mph) on a magnetic-levitation track. Unmanned rocket sleds that ride on rails have reached over 10,400 km/h (6,462 mph), equivalent to Mach 8.5. The fastest manned rail vehicle was a manned rocket sled, that travelled at 1,017 km/h (635 mph).

The French TGV (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 speed of 574.8 km/h (357.18 mph) under test conditions with a shortened train (two power cars and three passenger cars) and larger wheels to reduce angular speed in the motors.[2]

The fastest scheduled trains in daily service is the Chinese CRH service Harmony express on the Wuhan–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway[3]

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 Steam United Kingdom Swindon London 124.45 km (77.3 miles) 1932 77.3 miles in 65 minutes. Claimed by the Great Western Railway at the time to be the world's fastest train.
124 (77.0) 160 (99.4) Fliegender Hamburger Diesel-electric Germany Berlin Hamburg 286 km 1933 DMU, 98 passengers
130.3 (81) 161 (100) Morning Hiawatha, Milwaukee Road class F7 Steam United States Sparta, Wisconsin Portage, Wisconsin 126.0 km (78.3 miles) 1939 78.3 miles in 58 minutes.[4]
135.8 (84.4) ? Twin Cities Zephyr Diesel-electric United States Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin La Crosse, Wisconsin ? until 1957 [4]
132.1 (82.0) 160 (99.4) Mistral Electric France Paris Dijon 315 km 1964
162.8 (101.1) 210 (130.4) Hikari Shinkansen Electric Japan Tokyo Shin-Osaka 515.0 km 1965 stopped at Nagoya and Kyoto
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 Electric France Paris Lyon-Brotteaux 429 km 1983
261.8 (162.6) 300 (186.3) Nozomi Shinkansen Electric Japan Hiroshima Kokura 192.0 km 1997 operated by 500 Series Shinkansen
263.3 (163.3) 320 (198.7) TGV Electric France Lyon-St Exupéry Aix-en-Provence 289.6 km 2005
279.3 (173.4)[5] 320 (198.7) TGV Electric France Lorraine TGV Champagne TGV 167.6 km 2007 on new LGV Est
313 (194) 350 (217) CRH2-088C + CRH2-087C Electric China Wuhan Guangzhou North 922 km 26 December 2009 On Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway
The first train G1001 arrives Guangzhou North 10 minutes early, at an average speed of 329 km/h. We calculate the speed using its running time on timetable.

Average speed, between terminating stations

Average speed (km/h) Train Type Location From To Distance Date Comments
242.5 Nozomi Shinkansen Electric Japan Shin-Osaka Hakata 554 km 1997–2003 conventional wheeled [6]
250 TGV Electric France Paris-Lyon Marseille St-Charles 750 km 2001... conventional wheeled
313 CRH2-088C + CRH2-087C Electric China Wuhan Guangzhou North 922 km 26 December 2009 On Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway
The first train G1001 arrives Guangzhou North 10 minutes early, at an average speed of 329 km/h. We calculate the speed using its running time on timetable.

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 Electric Japan Tokyo Shin-Osaka 515 km 1964
260 - TGV Electric France Paris Lyon-Brotteaux 430 km 1981
270 - TGV Electric France Paris Lyon-Brotteaux 430 km 1983
300 - TGV Electric France Paris Le Mans 202 km 1989
320 - TGV Electric France Avignon-TGV Aix-en-Provence-TGV 74 km 2005
350 240 CRH 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 Maglev China Shanghai Pudong Airport Shanghai Longyang Road 30 km 2003

Unmodified commercial trains in test run

Average speed, over long distance

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

Average speed km/h (mph) Top speed km/h (mph) Distance Time Train Type Location From To Date Comments
112 (67.1) 145 (90) claimed 227 km (141 miles) 126 min LNWR No. 790 Hardwicke 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 Diesel United States Denver Chicago 26 May 1934 1,015 miles non-stop in 13 hours 5 minutes.
165 (102.48) 203 316 km 115 min ETR 200 Electric Italy Florence Milan 20 July 1939 175.8 km/h mean speed between Lavino and Rogoredo (distance 199.147 km).
332 (206) 394 968 km 175 min CRH3-014C + CRH3-017C Electric China Guangzhou South Wuhan 9 December 2009 Depart at 07:56, arrive at 10:50[7]
387 (240) 486 219 km 34 min CRH380A-6401L Electric China Zaozhuang West Bengbu South 3 December 2010 Depart at 11:05, arrive at 11:39[8]

Top speed

Conventional wheeled

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
380 (236.12) SNCF TGV Sud-Est Set No. 16 Electric multiple unit France 26 February 1981 On LGV Sud-Est. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
403.7 (250.7) Siemens Velaro E (AVE S-103) Electric Between Guadalajara and Calatayud, Spain between 15 and 16 July 2006 On the Madrid-Zaragoza AVE line.[9][10]
416.6 (258.9) CRH380A Electric China 28 September 2010 11:37 On Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway[11]
486.1 (302.0) CRH380AL Electric China 3 December 2010 11:28 Near Sùzhōu, on Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway[12]

Maglev

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
501 (311.31) Transrapid Maglev Shanghai Maglev Train, China 2003 November 12 During test run

Special built trains for test only

Conventional wheeled

Electric multiple units

Further information: TGV world speed record
km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
162.5 (100.9) Siemens & Halske Drehstrom Electric (Locomotive or EMU?) Between Marienfelde and Zossen, Germany (de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn) 1901 Drehstrom: Three-phase. Some sources say 160 or 162 km/h. See: [3].
203 (126.1) Siemens & Halske Drehstrom-Triebwagen Electric multiple unit (EMU) Between Marienfelde and Zossen, Germany (de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn) 6 October 1903 Drehstrom-Triebwagen: Three-phase-Multiple unit. 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, [4], [5].
206.7 (128.4) Siemens & Halske Drehstrom-Triebwagen Electric multiple unit Between Marienfelde and Zossen, Germany (de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn) 23 October 1903 Drehstrom-Triebwagen: Three-phase-Multiple unit.
210.2 (130.6) AEG Drehstrom-Triebwagen Electric multiple unit Between Marienfelde and Zossen, Germany (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 in 1931. Record for electrical trains until 1954. See: de:Studiengesellschaft für Elektrische Schnellbahnen, [6], [7].
256 (159) Class 1000 Shinkansen Electric multiple unit Japan 30 March 1963 On Odawara test track, now part of Tōkaidō Shinkansen.[13]
286 (177.6) Class 951 Shinkansen Electric multiple unit Japan 24 February 1972 On Sanyō Shinkansen.[13]
319 (198.1) Class 961 Shinkansen Electric multiple unit Japan 7 December 1979 On Oyama test track, now part of Tōhoku Shinkansen.[13]
380 (236.12) SNCF TGV Sud-Est Set No. 16 Electric multiple unit France 26 February 1981 On LGV Sud-Est. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
406.9 (252.83) InterCityExperimental (ICE-V) Electric multiple unit West Germany 1 May 1988 Conventional wheeled absolute record.
408.4 (253.7) SNCF TGV Sud-Est Set No. 88 Electric multiple unit France 12 December 1988 On LGV Sud-Est. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
482.4 (299.7) SNCF TGV Atlantique Set No. 325 Electric multiple unit France 5 December 1989 On LGV Atlantique. Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
515.3 (320.1) (320.19) SNCF TGV Atlantique Set No. 325 Electric multiple unit France 18 May 1990 On LGV Atlantique. Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
574.8 (357.18) SNCF TGV POS Set No. 4402 Electric multiple unit France 3 April 2007 On LGV Est. Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.[2]

Electric locomotives

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
243 (150.99) Alstom CC 7121 Electric locomotive 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).
Official Conventional wheeled absolute record, pulling 3 cars.
Other sources say 330.9 km/h. See: fr:BB 9003-9004, [8].
357 (221.82) Siemens Eurosprinter ES64U4 No. 1216 050-5 Electric locomotive Germany 2 September 2006 Record attained on Nuremberg-Munich high-speed rail line, locomotive owned by ÖBB. Series-produced locomotive, pulling one car. See: [9], [10].

Third rail electric

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
174 (108) Class 442 (Wessex Electric) unit 2401 Electric United Kingdom 11 April 1988

Fourth rail electric

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
112 (70) Cravens A Stock Electric United Kingdom 1960-late1990s

Gas turbine

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
275 (170.8) UAC TurboTrain Gas turbine-electric United States 20 December 1967
318 (197.59) TGV 001 Gas turbine-electric France 8 December 1972

Diesel

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
181 (112.5) Pioneer Zephyr Diesel United States 26 May 1934
205.0 (127.4) DRG SVT 137 "Bauart Leipzig" Diesel Germany 17 February 1936 First diesel train faster than 200 km/h
215.0 (133.6) DRG SVT 137 155 (Kruckenberg) Diesel Germany 23 June 1939
230.4 (143.16) Class 252 (HST prototype) Diesel United Kingdom 12 June 1973
238 (147.88) Class 43 (HST) Diesel United Kingdom 1 November 1987 Current diesel speed record listed in 2006 Guinness Book of Records
271 (168.39) TEP80 Diesel Russia 5 October 1993 Claimed, but no verification from an independent witness [14]
256.38 (159.30) Talgo XXI Diesel Spain 12 June 2002 Claimed by Spanish manufacturer

Gasoline

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
230.2 (143.03) Schienenzeppelin Propeller pushed railcar with a gasoline (petrol) aero engine On the route Berlin - Hamburg between Karstädt and Dergenthin, Germany (de:Berlin-Hamburger Bahn) 21 June 1931 Absolute record for more than twenty years. Engine by BMW. Other sources say between Ludwigslust und Wittenberge.

Steam

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
8 (4.97) Richard Trevithick'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 Steam United Kingdom 1830
96.6 (60) Boston and Maine Railroad Antelope Steam United States 1848 First authenticated 60 mph, 26 miles in 26 minutes.
125.6 (78) Great Britain Steam United Kingdom 1850 80 mph claimed
131.6 (81.8) Bristol & Exeter Railway #41 Steam United Kingdom June 1854 Broad gauge
131 (82) Empire State Express 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.[15][16]
145 (90) LNWR No. 790 Hardwicke 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 Steam United Kingdom 9 May 1904 Claimed to be the first steam locomotive to reach 100 mph.
185.07 (115.00) Pennsylvania Railroad E2 #7002 Steam United States 11 June 1905 Claimed. Clocked at Crestline, Ohio 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.[citation needed]
166.6 (103.5) Milwaukee Road class F6 #6402 Steam United States 20 July 1934 A point between Oakwood, Illinois and Lake, Wisconsin. Also averaged 75.5 mph on 85 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Milwaukee, and 89.92 mph for a 68.9 mile stretch[4]
160 (100) LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman Steam United Kingdom 30 November 1934

In 1934, Flying Scotsman achieved the first authenticated 100 mph (160 km/h) by a steam locomotive.[17]

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 (112.5) Milwaukee Road class A #2 Steam United States 8 May 1935 Claimed to have sustained 112.5 mph for 14 miles. Average speed for 136 miles between Milwaukee and New Lisbon, Wisconsin was 74.9 mph.[4]
180.3 (112) LNER Class A4 2509 Silver Link Steam United Kingdom 29 September 1935 Authenticated. Some sources say 112.5 mph.
200.4 (124.52) Borsig DRG series 05 002 Steam Germany 11 May 1936 Level grade. Speed documentation reliable.[18]
202.6 (125.88) LNER Class A4 No. 4468 Mallard Steam United Kingdom 3 July 1938 Downhill grade. Official data indicates 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.[19]
182.4 (113.3) BR 18 201 Steam Germany 11 October 1972 Today's (2010) fastest operational steam locomotive.

Jet

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
295.72 (183.68) New York Central Budd RDC-3 M-497 Jet aero engines (retrofitted to roof) Butler, Indiana to Stryker, Ohio, United States 23 July 1966 [citation needed]

Rocket

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
280 Opel RAK III Rocket Germany 23 June 1928 Unmanned. Some sources say 254 or 290 km/h. See: [11], [12], [13], [14], [15].

Narrow gauge

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Gauge Comments
129 JNR C62 steam locomotive No. C62 17 Steam locomotive Japan 15 December 1954 42 On JNR Tōkaidō Main Line[20]
136 (86) OMEG Rail motor coach No. «Crown Prince» Gasoline Railcar German South-West Africa summer 1914 0.6 [21]
145 (90.1) Odakyū 3000 series SE Romancecar Electric multiple unit Japan 27 September 1957 42 On JNR Tōkaidō Main Line
163 (101.2)[22] JNR 151 series Electric multiple unit Japan 31 July 1959 42 On JNR Tōkaidō Main Line
175 (108.7) JNR KuMoYa93 test car Electric multiple unit Japan 21 November 1960 42 On JNR Tōkaidō Main Line
245 (152.2) SAR Class 6E1 (No. E1525) Electric locomotive South Africa 31 October 1978 42 Between Westonaria and Midway.[23][24][25] Scheffel bogie

Hovertrain

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
100 Aérotrain 01 Hovercraft train, Propeller engine Gometz-la-Ville, France 21 February 1966
200 Aérotrain 01 Hovercraft train, Propeller engine Gometz-la-Ville, France A few days after 21 February 1966
303 Aérotrain 01 Hovercraft train, Jet aero engine Gometz-la-Ville, France 23 December 1966 With the help of an auxiliary rocket.
345 Aérotrain 02 Hovercraft train, Jet aero engine Gometz-la-Ville, France November 1967
422 Aérotrain 02 Hovercraft train, Jet aero engine Gometz-la-Ville, France 22 January 1969 With the help of an auxiliary rocket.
430.4 Aérotrain I-80 Haute Vitesse (HV) Hovercraft train, Jet aero engine Chevilly, Loiret, 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 Prinzipfahrzeug Maglev MBB's Ottobrunn factory (near Munich), West Germany 6 May 1971 660 m test track; MBB: Messerschmidt-Bölkow-Blohm, Prinzipfahrzeug: Principle vehicle.
164 (101.9) Transrapid 02 Maglev Krauss-Maffei's plant in Munich - Allach, West Germany October 1971 930 m test track which included one curve.
250 Transrapid 04 Maglev Munich - Allach, West Germany end 1973
253.2 (157.3) Transrapid 04 Maglev West Germany 21 November 1977
504 JR-Maglev ML-500R Maglev Miyazaki Maglev Test Track, Japan 12 December 1979
517 (321.24) JR-Maglev ML-500R Maglev Miyazaki Maglev Test Track, Japan 21 December 1979
531 (329.94) JR-Maglev MLX01 Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan 12 December 1997 Three-car train set.
550 (341.75) JR-Maglev MLX01 Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan 24 December 1997 Three-car train set.
552 (342.99) JR-Maglev MLX01 Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan 14 April 1999 Five-car train set. Guinness Book of Records authenticated.
581 (361.01) JR-Maglev MLX01 Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan 2 December 2003 Three-car train set. Absolute record (excepting rocket sleds). Guinness Book of Records authenticated.

Unmanned, other propulsion

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
401.3 (249) Komet Maglev Manching, Germany 1974 By MBB. Propelled by six hot water rockets.

Relative passing speed between two trains

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
482.6 (301.6) TGV Electric LGV Atlantique, France December 1989 conventional wheeled
600 (375) JR-Maglev MLX01 Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan December 1998
622.98 (389.4) JR-Maglev MLX01 Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan November 1999
637.52 (398.45) JR-Maglev MLX01 Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan 16 November 2004

Rocket sled

Top speed km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
1,017 (631.94) Rocket sled Holloman Air Force Base (USA) 10 December 1954 Manned by John Stapp. Fastest manned rocket-sled. Fastest manned rail vehicle. Fastest manned open-cockpit vehicle.[26]
4,972 (3,089.45) Rocket sled New Mexico (USA) 1959 Unmanned. It ran on SNORT (Supersonic Naval Ordnance Track).
9,845 (6,117.39) Rocket sled Holloman Air Force Base (USA) October 1982 Unmanned. It blasted a 25-pound payload to a speed of 6119 mph.
10,430 (6,480.90) Rocket sled Holloman Air Force Base (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.

See also

References

  1. ^ Shaw, 1958, p.47
  2. ^ a b BBC News 3 April 2007
  3. ^ Chinese high-speed train sets new record - The Financial Times December 27, 2009
  4. ^ a b c d Jim Scribbins (2007). The Hiawatha Story. Minneapolis/London: University of Minnesota Press (originally published by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 1970).
  5. ^ Railway Gazette International World Speed Survey 2007
  6. ^ Japanese train service speed ranking (March 1997). Retrieved 11 December 2009. Template:Ja icon
  7. ^ http://www.china-mor.gov.cn/detail.jsp?MSG_ID=21086
  8. ^ http://big5.ifeng.com/gate/big5/news.ifeng.com/mainland/video/detail_2010_12/03/3341613_0.shtml
  9. ^ [1],
  10. ^ [2].
  11. ^ http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2010-09-28/113621186681.shtml
  12. ^ http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2010-12/03/c_12844439.htm
  13. ^ a b c プロトタイプの世界 - Prototype World. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbunsha. December 2005. ISBN 4910065141258. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid prefix (help)
  14. ^ Video footage
  15. ^ Speed
  16. ^ "GREAT SPEED Off THE CENTRAL.; Empire State Express Engine Travels at the Rate of 112 1-2 Miles an Hour" (PDF). New York Times. 1893-05-12. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  17. ^ NRM | Flying Scotsman
  18. ^ Was German 05 002 The World's Fastest Steam Loco?
  19. ^ The Gresley A4 Pacifics
  20. ^ Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō magazine, November 2008 issue, p.61
  21. ^ Shaw 1958 p.47
  22. ^ こだま号高速度試験
  23. ^ http://www.speedrecordclub.com/outrail.php
  24. ^ http://home.intekom.com/bluegrass/sites/steamsa/historical11.html
  25. ^ http://www.traintesting.com/SAR.htm
  26. ^ International Space Hall of Fame Entry for John Stapp
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