China’s Fuxing and Indonesia’s Whoosh top this list at 350 km/h (217 mph) in regular service. The next group reaches 320 km/h (199 mph), including France’s TGV and Japan’s Hayabusa and Komachi.
These are speeds passengers can experience on scheduled services, not records set during testing. The route matters: even the fastest trains spend part of a journey below their maximum.
How we ranked this
We compared maximum speeds in regular, timetabled passenger service, using operator and manufacturer sources checked in October 2026. We group related versions under their operator’s train name; Whoosh and Al Boraq have their own entries. Prototypes, retired trains and test runs are excluded.
Trains with equal speeds are listed alphabetically by the names used here. This is display order, not a difference in speed. Seven more trains covered here also run at 300 km/h and are named in the note after number 10.
| No. | Train | Country | Line | Max service speed (km/h) | mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuxing CR400AF/BF | China | Beijing–Shanghai | 350 | 217 |
| 2 | Whoosh | Indonesia | Jakarta–Bandung | 350 | 217 |
| 3 | Al Boraq | Morocco | Tangier–Kenitra | 320 | 199 |
| 4 | ICE 3 | Germany / France | LGV Est, France | 320 | 199 |
| 5 | Shinkansen E5/H5 | Japan | Tohoku: Utsunomiya–Morioka | 320 | 199 |
| 6 | Shinkansen E6 | Japan | Tohoku: Utsunomiya–Morioka | 320 | 199 |
| 7 | TGV | France | LGV Est | 320 | 199 |
| 8 | KTX and KTX-Sancheon | South Korea | Gyeongbu high-speed line | 305 | 190 |
| 9 | AVE S-103 | Spain | Madrid–Barcelona | 300 | 186 |
| 10 | Eurostar | UK / Europe | London–Paris high-speed sections | 300 | 186 |
For speed on roads and tracks, compare the fastest cars, fastest motorcycles and fastest roller coasters.
10. Eurostar, UK and Europe, 300 km/h (186 mph)
Eurostar reaches 300 km/h (186 mph) on high-speed lines in the UK and continental Europe. London–Paris is one of its cross-border routes, carrying passengers through the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France.
The tunnel itself has a lower speed limit: Eurostar gives 160 km/h (100 mph). The 300 km/h figure applies to suitable high-speed sections, not the entire journey. Eurostar also links cities including Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne.
Also at 300 km/h (186 mph)
Seven more trains covered here also run at this speed:
- Frecciarossa 1000 — 300 km/h on Italy’s high-speed network, including Milan–Rome.
- Italo AGV — 300 km/h on Italy’s high-speed network, including the Milan–Rome corridor.
- KTX-Cheongryong — 300 km/h on South Korea’s Gyeongbu and Honam high-speed lines, for now.
- Shanghai Maglev — 300 km/h between Longyang Road and Pudong International Airport; it levitates above its guideway rather than rolling on steel wheels, and formerly ran at 431 km/h.
- Shinkansen N700S — 300 km/h on Japan’s Sanyo Shinkansen; its Tokaido limit is lower, at 285 km/h.
- Taiwan High Speed Rail 700T — 300 km/h on Taiwan’s western high-speed line.
- Talgo 350 Haramain — 300 km/h on Saudi Arabia’s Mecca–Medina high-speed railway.
9. AVE S-103, Spain, 300 km/h (186 mph)
Spain’s AVE S-103 runs at 300 km/h (186 mph) in regular service, according to maintenance provider Nertus. The Siemens Velaro E train is closely associated with the Madrid–Barcelona corridor; Nertus also lists regular services between Madrid and Málaga.
Its eight-car formation alternates four powered cars with four unpowered cars, spreading traction through the train. Nertus distinguishes its regular 300 km/h operation from a maximum capability of 350 km/h. The regular-service figure is the one used in this list.
8. KTX and KTX-Sancheon, South Korea, 305 km/h (190 mph)
South Korea’s KTX and KTX-Sancheon run at up to 305 km/h (190 mph), placing them eighth. The Gyeongbu high-speed line forms the main route between Seoul and Busan.
Korail distinguishes that operating limit from the trains’ 330 km/h design speed. Its figures also show how acceleration differs: KTX-Sancheon reaches 300 km/h faster than the original KTX.
The newer KTX-Cheongryong is built for 320 km/h, but it runs at 300 km/h until extra tracks between Pyeongtaek and Osong are finished, due in 2028. That puts it in the 300 km/h group.
7. TGV, France, 320 km/h (199 mph)
France’s TGV trains reach 320 km/h (199 mph) on LGV Est. The high-speed line opened in 2007, linking Paris more quickly with eastern France.
This entry covers the Duplex, Euroduplex and POS trains operated as TGV services. The double-deck Duplex designs carry passengers on two levels, rather than using extra train length alone.
The famous 574.8 km/h TGV record belongs to a specially assembled test train. A ticket on a normal TGV does not buy a ride at that speed.
6. Shinkansen E6, Japan, 320 km/h (199 mph)
The red E6 Komachi also reaches 320 km/h (199 mph) between Utsunomiya and Morioka. It began running at that speed on March 15, 2014.
Komachi combines high-speed travel on the Tohoku Shinkansen with a through service toward Akita over adapted conventional lines. Passengers can stay on the same train as the character of the route changes.
Its long nose and noise-control equipment support the high-speed section. The train also tilts to improve comfort on curves.
5. Shinkansen E5/H5, Japan, 320 km/h (199 mph)
Hayabusa services using E5 and H5 trains reach 320 km/h (199 mph) between Utsunomiya and Morioka on Japan’s Tohoku Shinkansen. Other parts of the journey have lower limits.
JR East raised the E5’s service speed to 320 km/h on March 16, 2013. The related H5 serves through journeys to Hokkaido.
The long nose has a practical job: reducing pressure waves as the train enters tunnels. JR East also uses covers and sound-absorbing panels to limit noise.
4. ICE 3, Germany and France, 320 km/h (199 mph)
Germany’s ICE 3 reaches 320 km/h (199 mph) on French high-speed track, including LGV Est. Deutsche Bahn gives 300 km/h as its maximum within Germany.
The cross-border service is the reason this German train appears in the 320 km/h group. The line matters just as much as the model name.
ICE 3 spreads its drive equipment beneath the passenger cars. It does not need a separate locomotive at each end, leaving more of the train available for passengers.
3. Al Boraq, Morocco, 320 km/h (199 mph)
Morocco’s Al Boraq reaches 320 km/h (199 mph) between Tangier and Kenitra. Alstom confirms that operating speed for the Euroduplex trains supplied to ONCF.
Inaugurated in November 2018, the service brought high-speed rail to Africa. The train continues toward Rabat and Casablanca, but the whole route is not a 320 km/h line.
Its double-deck trains were adapted for Morocco’s climate and operating conditions. Each has 533 passenger places, including spaces designed for travelers with reduced mobility.
2. Whoosh, Indonesia, 350 km/h (217 mph)
Indonesia’s Whoosh matches Fuxing at 350 km/h (217 mph) on the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed line. Its KCIC400AF trains put Southeast Asia in the same service-speed tier as China.
The railway was inaugurated on October 2, 2023, and commercial service began on October 17. KCIC’s current passenger information still gives 350 km/h as its operating speed.
Whoosh uses four stations: Halim, Karawang, Padalarang and Tegalluar Summarecon. Check the station as well as the city when planning a journey.
1. Fuxing CR400AF/BF, China, 350 km/h (217 mph)
China’s Fuxing CR400AF and CR400BF trains run at 350 km/h (217 mph) in regular passenger service. They reach that speed on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway.
The 350 km/h service began on September 21, 2017. CR400AF and CR400BF are different versions of China’s standardized high-speed train, designed to work to common technical standards.
At their maximum service speed, they cover nearly six kilometers each minute. That is a cruising-speed comparison, not the average for a trip with stops.
The speed records
Test records answer a different question: how fast can a specially prepared train go under controlled conditions? These figures do not decide the passenger-service ranking.
Japan’s L0 Series maglev reached 603 km/h (375 mph) on April 21, 2015, according to Guinness World Records. It is not in regular passenger service.
France’s TGV V150 reached 574.8 km/h (357 mph) on April 3, 2007, the world record for conventional rail. Alstom assembled the test train using POS power cars, Duplex coaches and powered AGV bogies.
China’s CR450 reached 453 km/h (281 mph) in single-train testing reported by CRRC in 2025. It is designed for 400 km/h service. It remains outside this passenger ranking: Caixin reported completion of operational assessment in August 2026, rather than a passenger-service launch.
SourcesSources are linked throughout the article. The main sources are listed below.
- Engineering — Fuxing development and 350 km/h service from September 2017
- KCIC — current Whoosh operation and stations (March 26, 2026)
- JR East — E5 speed and tunnel-noise design
- Alstom — Al Boraq operating at 320 km/h between Tangier and Kenitra
- Korail — KTX and KTX-Sancheon operating speed and acceleration
- Nertus — AVE S-103 regular operating speed
- Eurostar — current maximum service speed
