Surveying the World's Fastest Trains, and a Possible New Entry to the List

The Telegraph compiles a list of the fastest train trips in the world, from the 90 minute journey from Brussels to Paris at 186 miles per hour to Shanghai's 268 mile per hour maglev train. A new service is poised to join them.

1 minute read

June 16, 2013, 1:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Shanghai Maglev

Lars Plougmann / flickr

If you're looking for the fastest train ride in the world, just book at trip from Shanghai's airport to the city's metro system. Aboard the world's first commercially used maglev (magnetic levitation) train you can reach top speeds of 269 miles per hour during the 20-mile trip. The fastest high-speed rail ride appears to be on China's CRH3C trains, which run from Beijing to Tianjin at a top speed of 205 miles per hour.

Poised to join them is Japan's "super-fast" maglev train that will travel at more than 300 miles per hour. "The public got a glimpse of the new L0 series magnetic levitation train, called 'Linear motor car' in Japan, on June 3 when JR Tokai displayed for the first time a linked-up prototype of five cars," reports Yu Okuma. "Passengers can expect to readily take a train like the one displayed at the test center in 2027, allowing them to travel between Tokyo and Nagoya in about 40 minutes instead of the current 100 minutes."

  

Wednesday, June 5, 2013 in The Telegraph

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Nithya Ramen talks to an older man. She is smiling and wearing a yellow dress. They are both outside.

Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor

Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.

November 7 - Los Angeles Times

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.