The advent of the modern passenger train has transformed the ways we travel the world.
Of course, technology has continued to advance since the introduction of these “iron horses” during the middle 19th century. Some trains are built with speed in mind, which means that journeys, which in years gone by would take days to complete, now take mere hours. What are some of the fastest trains in the world and what features will they provide to the average passenger? Let us take a look at a handful of examples.
The Fuxing Hao
Roughly translated to “rejuvenation” in English, the Fuxing Hao is able to reach speeds of 249 miles per hour; not bad for those who wish to travel between Beijing and Shanghai in under five hours. The train is able to accommodate 556 passengers and its speed has halved the amount of time that would normally be required to travel between these two cities. Whether used for business or pleasure, there is no doubt that the Fuxing Hao will impress any rider.
The Shanghai Maglev
As this train is able to attain blistering speeds of up to 500 kilometres per hour (267 miles per hour), the Shanghai Maglev is currently considered to be the fastest commuter rail car on the planet. As the title suggests, this unit employs the force of magnetic levitation in order to propel passengers between locations. This also signifies that the ride itself is extremely smooth when compared to traditional gauged tracks. Still, this technology came at a price. It cost roughly $2.1 billion dollars to construct in 2004. You can view the entire Shanghai Maglev route here to learn more about what is in store.
The RENFE Ave
This is considered to be the fastest train within Spain and its route was actually planned for quite some time. Passengers desired a means to quickly travel between Barcelona and Paris; important for both business and leisure. The Ave is capable of reaching speeds of 217 miles per hour and the total journey between these two cities now takes just under ix hours to complete. Please note that there are other stops along the way such as Toulouse and Lyon.
The Frecciarosa
Frecciarosa is translated from Italian into English as “Red Arrow” and with velocities approaching 220 miles per hour, it certainly deserves such a nickname. The Frecciarosa was first unveiled in 2015 and it has been making headlines ever since. It currently provides services between Florence, Milan and Rome. One interesting quality about this train is that it employs a great deal of sustainable technology and this renewable approach will likely hint at things to come within the travel sector as a whole.
If you feel the insatiable need for speed, these four unique rail journeys will not disappoint. The good news is that this technology is now becoming commonplace, so we should fully expect more streamlined opportunities to travel well into the future.