World's Fastest Bullet Train List
Where's the US in the Bullet Train Tech Race?
Asia and Europe are dominating in speed and deployment of bullet trains. The world leaders in the technology are Japan, France and China. These nations have systems up and running and some are currently building more. Here's the 2018 list of the Top Ten Fastest Bullet Trains in the World:
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| World's Fastest Bullet Train - Japan's Loseries SC Maglev |
Asia and Europe are dominating in speed and deployment of bullet trains. The world leaders in the technology are Japan, France and China. These nations have systems up and running and some are currently building more. Here's the 2018 list of the Top Ten Fastest Bullet Trains in the World:
- Japan - Loseries SC Maglev, also known as Japan Laser, at 375 mph
- France - TGV at 357 mph
- China - CRH38OA at 302 mph
- Japan - N700 Shinkansen 275 mph
- China - Shanghai Maglev at 275 mph
- South Korea - HEMU 430X at 267 mph
- Italy - Frecciarossa 1000 at 220 mph
- Spain - Talgo 350 at 205 mph
- Germany - ICE3 at 199 mph
- Taiwan THSR 700T at 186 mph
Massive Acceleration Testing
Some of these systems have exceeded speeds of 400 mph with belief they'll be able to sustain travel at 500 mph. That would cut a trip from Paris to Berlin to 2 hours, very comparable to air travel.
Where's Bullet Team USA?
Two big questions: where is the US and why isn't it a leader in this important, real-time intercity travel technology. True, we have Elon Musk developing his HyperLoop which, when implemented, should outclass and out-race bullet trains. It's expected to travel in its vacuum tube at 700 mph. But why hasn't the US invested in bullet trains like China, Japan and France have. Likely reasons, money and government funding budgets. These systems are super-expensive tech & infrastructure projects. Government and corporate leaders have to believe in its future profitability.
US Left at the Station
Bullet train technology has emerged in the past decade. China has more than 20,000 miles of bullet train track, the most in the world. It's estimated that it costs 90% more to build tracks for bullet trains travelling at 350 mph than for trains moving at 250 mph or less. It's very expensive infrastructure and viewed as unprofitable. But, after 8 years, China is making a profit on its Beijing to Shanghai line. And it's building a lot more lines as is Japan and India, to name a few. It appears the US, along with all of us commuters, are at the train station and the bullet express left a long time ago.
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