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What is the fastest train?

The French high-speed train TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse, which translates to "Train at Great Speed") Atlantique achieved the fastest speed—320.2 miles per hour (515.2 kilometers per hour)—recorded on any national rail system on May 18, 1990. It traveled between the French cities of Courtalain and Tours.

The Amtrak X2000 is the fastest train in the United States, with a maximum speed of 156 miles per hour (251 kilometers per hour). The train completed a demonstration run between Washington, D.C., and New York on February 1, 1993. However, it has not yet gone into service. The future of Amtrak itself, which is facing a financial crisis, was called into question in mid-1997.

MAGLEV (magnetic levitation) trains, under development in Japan and Germany, can travel at speeds between 250 and 300 miles per hour (402 and 483 kilometers per hour) or greater. These trains run on a bed...

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