The highest-speed trains in the world open up no end of possibilities for curious travellers. Whenever we head on an adventure that includes more time on the ground, it feels like a big win on the sustainability front – and, depending on the country and rail route, like stepping back in time. Whether it’s a long journey that flies by in a blur of bucolic scenes through the window or an overnight journey where you’re rocked to sleep, these are the high-speed rail adventures to know about.
According to the UIC, there are an estimated 56,000km of high-speed lines (built to handle speeds of at least 250 km/h) in operation around the globe, and more than three billion of us use high-speed rail every year.
Not yet. However, the Experimental Chinese Maglev trains using magnetic levitation have reportedly gone over 400mph.
A Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train speeding through downtown Tokyo
Getty ImagesJapan’s Shinkansen, also known as the bullet train, is arguably the most iconic of all the world’s high-speed trains. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen line was launched ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, connecting Japan’s four largest cities: Tōkyō, Yokohama, Nagoya and Ōsaka. Despite considerable expansion in the decades since, the first line remains the busiest, with more than 160 million passengers a year using the speedy route as a vital mode of transport. Carriages zoom across the country at speeds of up to 320km/h, services run every three minutes during peak hours, and it remains one of the safest rail networks in the world. For longer journeys, indulge in a Gran Class booking – Shinkansen’s equivalent of first class, with exceptional hospitality and plush, standalone seats that recline to 45 degrees.
Booking: smart-ex.jp
High-speed train of China Railway CR type Fuxing CR400 in Shanghai
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