Land speed record for railed vehicles
Encyclopedia
Determination of the fastest rail vehicle in the world varies depending on the definition of "rail
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...

".

Official absolute world record for conventional train is held by the French TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 (Train à Grande Vitesse). In April 2007, a specially tuned train, reduced to 3 cars with higher voltage, broke the world record, reaching 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph).

The world record for non-conventional train is held by the experimental Japanese JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

, having achieved 581 km/h (361 mph) on a magnetic-levitation
Magnetic levitation
Magnetic levitation, maglev, or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields...

 track.

Unmanned rocket sled
Rocket sled
A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets.As its name implies, a rocket sled does not use wheels. Instead, it has sliding pads, called "slippers", which are curved around the head of the rails to prevent the sled from flying off the track...

s that ride on rails have reached over 10400 kilometre per hour, equivalent to Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...

 8.5.

The fastest manned rail vehicle was a manned rocket sled, that travelled at 1017 km/h (632 mph).

Average speed, from station to station

Average Speed
km/h | mph
Top Speed
km/h|mph
Train Type Location From To Distance
km | miles
Date Comments
114.871.3 12980 Cheltenham Spa Express
Cheltenham Spa Express
The Cheltenham Spa Express is a British named passenger train service from Paddington station, in London, to Cheltenham Spa, in Gloucestershire, via Reading, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse and Gloucester...

Steam United Kingdom Swindon London 124.377.2 1932-? 77¼ miles in 65 minutes. Claimed by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...

 at the time to be the world's fastest train.
124.377.2 16099 Fliegender Hamburger
DRG Class SVT 877
The DRG Class SVT 877 Hamburg Flyer – sometimes also Flying Hamburger or in German Fliegender Hamburger – was Germany's first fast diesel train, and is credited with establishing the fastest regular railway connection in the world in its time...

Diesel-electric  Germany Berlin Hamburg 286177.7 1933-? DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...

, 98 passengers
130.481 161100 Morning Hiawatha
Twin Cities Hiawatha
The Twin Cities Hiawatha was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The original train takes its name from the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...

Steam United States Sparta, Wisconsin Portage, Wisconsin 12678.3 1939-? 78.3 miles in 58 minutes, Milwaukee Road class F7
Milwaukee Road class F7
The Milwaukee Road's class F7 comprised six high-speed, streamlined 4-6-4 "Baltic" or "Hudson" type steam locomotives built by ALCO in 1937–38 to haul the Milwaukee's Hiawatha express passenger trains...

.
135.884.4 ? ? Twin Cities Zephyr
Twin Cities Zephyr
The Twin Cities Zephyr was a streamlined passenger train service of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad . It was the second Zephyr service introduced by CB&Q following the record-setting Denver–Chicago "dawn to dusk dash" of the Pioneer Zephyr trainset...

Diesel-electric United States Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin La Crosse, Wisconsin ? ? ?-1957
132.182.1 16099 Mistral Electric
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...

 
France Paris Dijon 315195.7 1964-1981
162.8101.2 210130 Hikari Shinkansen  Electric Japan Tokyo Shin-Osaka 515320 1965- Stopped at Nagoya and Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

163101.3 200124 Etendard Electric France St-Pierre-des-Corps Poitiers 10062.1 1973-1989 Class CC6500 locomotive, actually by TGV
214133 260162 TGV Sud-Est  Electric France Paris Lyon-Brotteaux 429266.6 1983-
250.43155.6 300186 Nozomi Shinkansen  Electric Japan Hiroshima Kokura 192119.3 1997- operated by 500 Series Shinkansen
500 Series Shinkansen
The is a Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by West Japan Railway Company on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Sanyō Shinkansen lines in Japan. They were designed to be capable of although they currently operate at a maximum of in service...

263.3163.6 320199 TGV Duplex  Electric France Lyon-St Exupéry Aix-en-Provence 289.6179.9 2005- On new LGV Mediterranée
279.3173.5 320199 TGV POS  Electric France Lorraine TGV Champagne TGV 167.6104.1 2007- On new LGV Est
LGV Est
The LGV Est européenne is an extension to the French high-speed rail network, connecting currently Vaires-sur-Marne and Baudrecourt , and later Vaires-sur-Marne and Vendenheim . , it is the newest high-speed line in France and still under construction, with of a planned in service...

313194.5 350217 CRH2  Electric China Wuhan  Guangzhou North
Guangzhou North Railway Station
The Guangzhou North Railway Station is a railway station in Guangdong Province, China, opened in 1908. It is located in Huadu District in far northern suburbs of Guangzhou....

 
922572.9 2009-2011 On Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway until July 2011

Average speed, between terminating stations

Average Speed
km/h | mph
Train Type Location From To Distance
km | miles
Date Comments
242.5150.7 Nozomi Shinkansen  Electric Japan Shin-Osaka Hakata 553.7344.1 1997–2003 conventional wheeled
Actual best average is 229.1 km/h
250155.3 TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 
Electric France Paris-Lyon Marseille St-Charles 750466 2001- conventional wheeled
313194.5 CRH2  Electric China Wuhan  Guangzhou North
Guangzhou North Railway Station
The Guangzhou North Railway Station is a railway station in Guangdong Province, China, opened in 1908. It is located in Huadu District in far northern suburbs of Guangzhou....

 
922572.9 2009-2011 On Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, until July 2011.
275170.9 CRH2  Electric China Wuhan  Guangzhou South  968601.5 2011- On Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, since July 2011.

Conventional wheeled

Top speed
km/h|mph
Average speed
km/h | mph
Train Type Location From To Distance
km | miles
Date Comments
210130 128.980.1 Hikari Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...

 
Electric Japan Tokyo Shin-Osaka 515320 1964
260162 TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 
Electric France Paris Lyon-Brotteaux 430267 1981
270168 TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 
Electric France Paris Lyon-Brotteaux 430267 1983
300186 TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 
Electric France Paris Le Mans 202126 1989
320199 TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 
Electric France Avignon-TGV Aix-en-Provence-TGV 7446 2005
350217 240149.1 CRH
China Railway High-speed
China Railway High-speed ; ) is the high-speed rail system operated by China Railways.Hexie Hao is the designation for high-speed trains running on this rail system. At the middle of the run, all trains were marked "CRH" on the centre of the head vehicle and the side of the walls of each vehicle...

 
Electric China Beijing South
Beijing south railway station
The current Beijing South Railway Station is a large railway station on the south side of Beijing that opened on August 1, 2008. The new station replaced the old Beijing South Station, first known as the Majiapu Railway Station and later known as the Yongdingmen Railway Station before 1988, which...

 
Tianjin
Tianjin Railway Station
The Tianjin Railway Station is the principal railway station in Tianjin, China. It was built in 1888, was rebuilt in 1987-1988, and restructured in 2007-2008....

 
11773 2008

Maglev

Top speed
km/h|mph
Average speed
km/h | mph
Train Type Location From To Distance
km | miles
Date Comments
431268 245.5152.5 Shanghai Maglev Train
Shanghai Maglev Train
The Shanghai Maglev Train or Shanghai Transrapid is a magnetic levitation train, or maglev line that operates in Shanghai, China. It is the first commercially operated high-speed magnetic levitation line in the world...

 
Maglev
Maglev train
Maglev , is a system of transportation that uses magnetic levitation to suspend, guide and propel vehicles from magnets rather than using mechanical methods, such as friction-reliant wheels, axles and bearings...

 
China Shanghai Pudong Airport Shanghai Longyang Road 3019 2003

Average speed, over long distance

Demonstration or other special workings with record average speed over distances of more than 160 km (99.4 mi).
Average speed km/h (mph) Top speed km/h (mph) Distance km (miles) Time Train Type Location From To Date Comments
112 (67.1) 145 (90) claimed 227 (141) 126 min LNWR No. 790 Hardwicke
LNWR Improved Precedent Class
The London and North Western Railway Improved Precedent Class or "Jumbo" Class is a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotive originally designed for express passenger work....

 
Steam United Kingdom Crewe Carlisle 22–23 August 1895 Overnight train
124 (77) 181 (112.4) 1,633 (1014.7) 785 min Pioneer Zephyr
Pioneer Zephyr
The Pioneer Zephyr is a diesel-powered railroad train formed of railroad cars permanently articulated together with Jacobs bogies, built by the Budd Company in 1934 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad , commonly known as the Burlington...

 
Diesel United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 
Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

 
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 
26 May 1934 1,015 miles non-stop in 13 hours 5 minutes.
165 (102.48) 203 (126.1) 316 (196.4) 115 min ETR 200
ETR 200
The ETR 200 is an Italian electric multiple unit introduced in 1936.-Development:In the 1930s the Italian state railways, Ferrovie dello Stato, electrified the main line Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome-Naples and needed a fast train to use on it and on other newly-electrified ones...

 
Electric Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 
Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....

 
Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

 
20 July 1939 175.8 km/h mean speed between Lavino and Rogoredo (distance 199.147 km).
306.3 (190.3) 367 (228) 1,067.2 (663.1) 209 min TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 
Electric France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....

 
Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...

 
26 May 2001 Fastest 1,000 km record at 317.46 km/h in 3 h 9 min, with 250+ passengers on board
332 (206) 394 (244.8) 968 (601.5) 175 min CRH3
China Railways CRH3
The CRH3 is a version of the Siemens Velaro high-speed train used in China on the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Rail line, Wuhan-Guangzhou Passenger Dedicated Line, Zhengzhou-Xi'an Passenger Dedicated Line and the Shanghai–Nanjing High-Speed Railway...

-014C + CRH3-017C
Electric China Guangzhou South  Wuhan  9 December 2009 Depart at 07:56, arrive at 10:50
387 (240) 486 (302) 219 (136.1) 34 min CRH380A
China Railways CRH380A
The CRH380A is an electric high-speed train designed by China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation Limited and manufactured by CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., Ltd. A continuation of the CRH2-350 program it both replaces foreign technology in the CRH2 with Chinese...

-6401L
Electric China Zaozhuang West  Bengbu South  3 December 2010 Depart at 11:05, arrive at 11:39

Conventional wheeled

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
380 (236.12) SNCF TGV Sud-Est
SNCF TGV Sud-Est
The SNCF TGV Sud-Est or TGV-PSE is a French TGV train built by Alstom and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. It is a semi-permanently coupled electric multiple unit which operates primarily between Paris and the south-east of France....

 Set No. 16
Electric multiple unit France 26 February 1981 On LGV Sud-Est
LGV Sud-Est
The LGV Sud-Est is a high-speed rail line, which links Paris' and Lyon's suburbs, in France. The inauguration of the first section between Saint-Florentin and Sathonay on 22 September 1981 marked the beginning of the re-invigoration of French passenger rail service.This line, subsequently...

. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
403.7 (250.7) Siemens Velaro E
Siemens Velaro
Siemens Velaro is a family of high-speed EMU trains used in Europe and China. The Velaro is based on Deutsche Bahn's ICE 3 high-speed trains, but is a full Siemens product unlike the ICE 3 which involved other manufacturers....

 (AVE S-103)
Electric Between Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Spain
Guadalajara is a city and municipality in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain, and in the natural region of La Alcarria. It is the capital of the province of Guadalajara. It is located roughly 60 km northeast of Madrid on the Henares River, and has a population of 83,789...

 and Calatayud
Calatayud
Calatayud is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza in Aragón, Spain lying on the river Jalón, in the midst of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is the second-largest city in the province after the capital, Zaragoza, and the largest town in Aragón other than the three provincial...

, Spain
between 15 and 16 July 2006 On the Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

-Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...

 AVE
AVE
Alta Velocidad Española is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird".AVE trains run on a network of...

 line.
416.6 (258.9) CRH380A  Electric China 28 September 2010 11:37 8-car trainset, on Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway
486.1 (302.0) CRH380AL Electric China 3 December 2010 11:28 16-car trainset, near Sùzhōu
Suzhou, Anhui
-Administration:Suzhou administers five county-level divisions, including one district and four counties.*Yongqiao District *Dangshan County *Xiao County *Lingbi County *Si County...

, on Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway
487.3 (302.8) CRH380BL Electric China 9 January 2011 17:15 16-car trainset, on Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway

Maglev

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
501 (311.31) Transrapid
Transrapid
Transrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969. The test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany was completed in 1987...

 
Maglev Shanghai Maglev Train
Shanghai Maglev Train
The Shanghai Maglev Train or Shanghai Transrapid is a magnetic levitation train, or maglev line that operates in Shanghai, China. It is the first commercially operated high-speed magnetic levitation line in the world...

, China
2003 November 12 During test run

Electric multiple units

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
162.5 (100.9) Siemens & Halske
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....

 Drehstrom
Electric (Locomotive or EMU?) Between Marienfelde
Marienfelde
Marienfelde is a locality in southwest Berlin. It is a mixed industrial and residential area, and part of the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg.-Transportation and industry:...

 and Zossen
Zossen
Zossen is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.-Geography:...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 (:de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn)
1901 Drehstrom: Three-phase
Three-phase
In electrical engineering, three-phase electric power systems have at least three conductors carrying voltage waveforms that are radians offset in time...

. Some sources say 160 or 162 km/h. See: http://www.railway.bham.ac.uk/courses/conference_1105/plenary_1-p/1_2_hughes_text_pdf.pdf.
203 (126.1) Siemens & Halske
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....

 Drehstrom-Triebwagen
Electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

 (EMU)
Between Marienfelde
Marienfelde
Marienfelde is a locality in southwest Berlin. It is a mixed industrial and residential area, and part of the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg.-Transportation and industry:...

 and Zossen
Zossen
Zossen is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.-Geography:...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 (:de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn)
6 October 1903 Drehstrom-Triebwagen: Three-phase
Three-phase
In electrical engineering, three-phase electric power systems have at least three conductors carrying voltage waveforms that are radians offset in time...

-Multiple unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...

. Some sources say 7 October, others say 201 or 200.99 km/h and others say an improbable 213 km/h. See: :de:Studiengesellschaft für Elektrische Schnellbahnen, http://www.tubit.tu-berlin.de/fileadmin/a3533/uploads/UE_NwB1/Bahnenergieversorgung.pdf, http://www.e94114.de/Eisenbahn/Elektrolokomotiven/Geschichte.htm.
206.7 (128.4) Siemens & Halske
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....

 Drehstrom-Triebwagen
Electric multiple unit Between Marienfelde
Marienfelde
Marienfelde is a locality in southwest Berlin. It is a mixed industrial and residential area, and part of the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg.-Transportation and industry:...

 and Zossen
Zossen
Zossen is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.-Geography:...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 (:de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn)
23 October 1903 Drehstrom-Triebwagen: Three-phase-Multiple unit.
210.2 (130.6) AEG
AEG
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau....

 Drehstrom-Triebwagen
Electric multiple unit Between Marienfelde
Marienfelde
Marienfelde is a locality in southwest Berlin. It is a mixed industrial and residential area, and part of the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg.-Transportation and industry:...

 and Zossen
Zossen
Zossen is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.-Geography:...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 (:de:Königlich Preussische Militär-Eisenbahn)
28 October 1903 Drehstrom-Triebwagen: Three-phase-Multiple unit. Many sources say 27 October. On 25 November 1903 a Siemens & Halske train attained 210 km/h. Absolute record. Broken by Schienenzeppelin
Schienenzeppelin
The ' or rail zeppelin was an experimental railcar which resembles a zeppelin airship in appearance. It was designed and developed by the German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929. Propulsion was by means of a propeller located at the rear, it accelerated the railcar to setting the land...

 in 1931. Record for electrical trains until 1954. See: :de:Studiengesellschaft für Elektrische Schnellbahnen, http://www.zossen.de/index.php?id=02e60000, http://www.siemens.com.br/templates/coluna1.aspx?channel=4068.
256 (159) Class 1000 Shinkansen
Class 1000 Shinkansen
was the classification given to the two prototype Japanese Shinkansen trains built for high-speed testing ahead of the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964.-Set A:# 1001 built by Kisha, seating capacity 56 , DT9002 bogies...

 
Electric multiple unit Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
30 March 1963 On Odawara
Odawara, Kanagawa
is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...

 test track, now part of Tōkaidō Shinkansen.
286 (177.6) Class 951 Shinkansen
Class 951 Shinkansen
The was an experimental Japanese Shinkansen train built to test the technology for future high-speed trains operating at speeds of up to following the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964.-Formation:# 951-1 built by Kawasaki Sharyo, seating capacity 40...

 
Electric multiple unit Japan 24 February 1972 On Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Shinkansen
The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Ōsaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan...

.
319 (198.1) Class 961 Shinkansen
Class 961 Shinkansen
The was a 6-car experimental Japanese Shinkansen train built in 1973.-Design:The Class 961 train was developed to test new technology and design features to be incorporated in future high-speed trains for use on the planned Tōhoku Shinkansen and Jōetsu Shinkansen routes in the north-east of Japan...

 
Electric multiple unit Japan 7 December 1979 On Oyama
Oyama, Tochigi
is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.As April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 163,954, with 62,714 households, and a population density of 955.39 persons per km²...

 test track, now part of Tōhoku Shinkansen
Tohoku Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...

.
380 (236.12) SNCF TGV Sud-Est
SNCF TGV Sud-Est
The SNCF TGV Sud-Est or TGV-PSE is a French TGV train built by Alstom and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. It is a semi-permanently coupled electric multiple unit which operates primarily between Paris and the south-east of France....

 Set No. 16
Electric multiple unit France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
26 February 1981 On LGV Sud-Est
LGV Sud-Est
The LGV Sud-Est is a high-speed rail line, which links Paris' and Lyon's suburbs, in France. The inauguration of the first section between Saint-Florentin and Sathonay on 22 September 1981 marked the beginning of the re-invigoration of French passenger rail service.This line, subsequently...

. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
406.9 (252.83) InterCityExperimental
InterCityExperimental
The Intercity Experimental, later renamed ICE V, was an experimental train for research into high-speed rail. It is the predecessor of all Intercity-Express trains.- History :...

 (ICE-V)
Electric multiple unit West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....

 
1 May 1988 Conventional wheeled absolute record.
408.4 (253.7) SNCF TGV Sud-Est
SNCF TGV Sud-Est
The SNCF TGV Sud-Est or TGV-PSE is a French TGV train built by Alstom and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. It is a semi-permanently coupled electric multiple unit which operates primarily between Paris and the south-east of France....

 Set No. 88
Electric multiple unit France 12 December 1988 On LGV Sud-Est
LGV Sud-Est
The LGV Sud-Est is a high-speed rail line, which links Paris' and Lyon's suburbs, in France. The inauguration of the first section between Saint-Florentin and Sathonay on 22 September 1981 marked the beginning of the re-invigoration of French passenger rail service.This line, subsequently...

. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
482.4 (299.7) SNCF TGV Atlantique
SNCF TGV Atlantique
The TGV Atlantique is a class of high-speed trains used in France by SNCF; they were built by Alstom between 1988 and 1992, and were the second generation of TGV trains, following on from the TGV Sud-Est....

 Set No. 325
Electric multiple unit France 5 December 1989 On LGV Atlantique
LGV Atlantique
The LGV Atlantique is a high-speed railway line running from Paris to Western France. It opened in 1989-1990. It divides into two parts at Courtalain, one going westward to Le Mans , the second one going southwestward to Tours .-Route:The line leaves Gare Montparnasse to cross Paris's southern...

. Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
515.3 (320.1) (320.19) SNCF TGV Atlantique
SNCF TGV Atlantique
The TGV Atlantique is a class of high-speed trains used in France by SNCF; they were built by Alstom between 1988 and 1992, and were the second generation of TGV trains, following on from the TGV Sud-Est....

 Set No. 325
Electric multiple unit France 18 May 1990 On LGV Atlantique
LGV Atlantique
The LGV Atlantique is a high-speed railway line running from Paris to Western France. It opened in 1989-1990. It divides into two parts at Courtalain, one going westward to Le Mans , the second one going southwestward to Tours .-Route:The line leaves Gare Montparnasse to cross Paris's southern...

. Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
574.8 (357.18) SNCF TGV POS
SNCF TGV POS
The TGV POS is a TGV train built by French manufacturer Alstom which is operated by the French national rail company, the SNCF in France's high-speed rail lines. It was originally ordered by the SNCF for use on the new LGV Est, which was put into service in 2007...

 Set No. 4402
Electric multiple unit France 3 April 2007 On LGV Est
LGV Est
The LGV Est européenne is an extension to the French high-speed rail network, connecting currently Vaires-sur-Marne and Baudrecourt , and later Vaires-sur-Marne and Vendenheim . , it is the newest high-speed line in France and still under construction, with of a planned in service...

. Set formed of 2 power cars + 3 trailers. Conventional wheeled absolute record.

Electric locomotives

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
243 (150.99) Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...

 CC 7121
Electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...

 
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
21 February 1954 Between Dijon and Beaune. Conventional wheeled absolute record.
320.6 (199.2) Alstom CC 7107 Electric locomotive France 28 March 1955 On the Les Landes line between Bordeaux and Dax (Facture - Morcenx). Conventional wheeled absolute record. See: :fr:CC 7100.
331 (205.6) Jeumont-Schneider BB 9004 Electric locomotive France 29 March 1955 On the Les Landes line between Bordeaux and Dax (Facture - Morcenx).
Official Conventional wheeled absolute record, pulling 3 cars.
Other sources say 330.9 km/h. See: :fr:BB 9003-9004, http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/fr/electric/dc/9000/pix.html.
357 (221.82) Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...

 Eurosprinter
EuroSprinter
The EuroSprinter family of electric locomotives is a modular concept of locomotives for the European market built by Siemens. The internal Siemens product name is ES 64, with ES for EuroSprinter and the number 64 indicating the 6,400 kW power at rail.Additional information is given in the name...

 ES64U4 No. 1216 050-5
Electric locomotive Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 
2 September 2006 Record attained on Nuremberg-Munich high-speed rail line
Nuremberg-Munich high-speed rail line
The Nuremberg–Munich high-speed railway line is a German high-speed railway in length. It links the two largest cities in Bavaria, Nuremberg and Munich....

, locomotive owned by ÖBB
ÖBB
The Austrian Federal Railways is the national railway system of Austria, and the administrators of Liechtenstein's railways...

. Series-produced locomotive, pulling one car. See: https://www.transportation.siemens.de/ts/en/pub/newsline/newsline/press_2006/2006/04_09_2006.htm, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLhtcgn7yck.

Third rail electric

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
174 (108) Class 442
British Rail Class 442
The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works...

 (Wessex Electric) unit 2401
Electric United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 
11 April 1988

Fourth rail electric

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
112 (70) Cravens A Stock
London Underground A60 Stock
The A Stock is the type of train used on the Metropolitan Line of the London Underground. It was built in two batches by Cravens of Sheffield in the early 1960s. The trains replaced all the previous stock then used on the Metropolitan Line...

 
Electric United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 
1960-late1990s

Gas turbine

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
275 (170.8) UAC TurboTrain  Gas turbine-electric
Gas turbine-electric locomotive
A gas turbine - electric locomotive, or GTEL, is a locomotive that uses a gas turbine to drive an electric generator or alternator. The electric current thus produced is used to power traction motors. This type of locomotive was first experimented with during the Second World War, but reached its...

 
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 
20 December 1967
318 (197.59) TGV 001
TGV 001
TGV 001 was a high-speed railway train built in France. It was the first TGV prototype and was commissioned in 1969, to begin testing in 1972...

 
Gas turbine-electric
Gas turbine-electric locomotive
A gas turbine - electric locomotive, or GTEL, is a locomotive that uses a gas turbine to drive an electric generator or alternator. The electric current thus produced is used to power traction motors. This type of locomotive was first experimented with during the Second World War, but reached its...

 
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
8 December 1972

Diesel

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
181 (112.5) Pioneer Zephyr
Pioneer Zephyr
The Pioneer Zephyr is a diesel-powered railroad train formed of railroad cars permanently articulated together with Jacobs bogies, built by the Budd Company in 1934 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad , commonly known as the Burlington...

 
Diesel United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

26 May 1934
205.0 (127.4) DRG SVT 137 "Bauart Leipzig"
DRG Class SVT 137
The DRG Class SVT 137 was a class of streamlined diesel train sets of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and later of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and the Deutsche Reichsbahn...

 
Diesel Germany 17 February 1936 First diesel train faster than 200 km/h
215.0 (133.6) DRG SVT 137 155 (Kruckenberg)
DRG Class SVT 137
The DRG Class SVT 137 was a class of streamlined diesel train sets of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and later of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and the Deutsche Reichsbahn...

 
Diesel Germany 23 June 1939
230.4 (143.16) Class 252 (HST
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....

 prototype)
Diesel United Kingdom 12 June 1973
238 (147.88) Class 43 (HST)
British Rail Class 43 (HST)
The British Rail Class 43 is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars, built by BREL from 1975 to 1982....

 
Diesel United Kingdom 1 November 1987 Current diesel speed record listed in 2006 Guinness Book of Records
271 (168.39) TEP80
TEP80
TEP80 is a Soviet diesel locomotive produced in 1988-1989. Only two locomotives of this model were built. The second of which lays claim to the world speed record for a diesel railed vehicle having reached 271 km/h on 5 October 1993...

 
Diesel Russia 5 October 1993 Claimed, but no verification from an independent witness
256.38 (159.30) Talgo XXI  Diesel Spain 12 June 2002 Claimed by Spanish manufacturer

Gasoline

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
230.2 (143.03) Schienenzeppelin
Schienenzeppelin
The ' or rail zeppelin was an experimental railcar which resembles a zeppelin airship in appearance. It was designed and developed by the German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929. Propulsion was by means of a propeller located at the rear, it accelerated the railcar to setting the land...

 
Propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...

-pushed railcar with a gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...

 (petrol) aero engine
On the route Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

 - Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 between Karstädt
Karstädt
Karstädt is a municipality in the Prignitz district, in Brandenburg, Germany....

 and Dergenthin, Germany (:de:Berlin-Hamburger Bahn)
21 June 1931 Absolute record for more than twenty years. Engine by BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...

. Other sources say between Ludwigslust
Ludwigslust
Ludwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It was the capital of the former district of Ludwigslust, and is part of the district Ludwigslust-Parchim since September 2011.-History:...

 und Wittenberge
Wittenberge
Wittenberge is a town of twenty thousand people on the lower Elbe in the district of Prignitz , Brandenburg, Germany.-History:...

.

Steam

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
8 (5) Richard Trevithick
Richard Trevithick
Richard Trevithick was a British inventor and mining engineer from Cornwall. His most significant success was the high pressure steam engine and he also built the first full-scale working railway steam locomotive...

's world's first railway steam locomotive
Steam United Kingdom 21 February 1804
24 (15) Locomotion No. 1  Steam United Kingdom 1825
48 (30) Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built in Newcastle Upon Tyne at the Forth Street Works of Robert Stephenson and Company in 1829.- Design innovations :...

 
Steam United Kingdom 1830
96.6 (60) Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...

 Antelope
Steam United States 1848 First authenticated 60 mph, 26 miles in 26 minutes.
125.6 (78) Great Britain Steam United Kingdom 1850 80 mph claimed
131.6 (81.8) Bristol & Exeter Railway #41  Steam United Kingdom June 1854 Broad gauge
131 (82) Empire State Express
Empire State Express
The Empire State Express was one of the named passenger trains and onetime flagship of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad...

No. 999
Steam United States May 10, 1893 112 mph (179 km/h) claimed, which would make it the first wheeled vehicle to exceed 100 mph.
145 (90) LNWR No. 790 Hardwicke
LNWR Improved Precedent Class
The London and North Western Railway Improved Precedent Class or "Jumbo" Class is a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotive originally designed for express passenger work....

Steam United Kingdom 22–23 August 1895 Maximum speed claimed, although average speed record was authenticated (see below).
164 (102.3) GWR 3700 Class 3440 City of Truro
GWR 3700 Class 3440 City of Truro
Number 3440 City Of Truro is a Great Western Railway 3700 Class 4-4-0 locomotive, designed by George Jackson Churchward and built at the GWR Swindon Works in 1903. . It is one of the contenders for the first steam locomotive to travel in excess of...

Steam United Kingdom 9 May 1904 Claimed to be the first steam locomotive to reach 100 mph.
185.07 (115.00) Pennsylvania Railroad E2 #7002
PRR 7002
PRR 7002 is a Pennsylvania Railroad E7s steam locomotive located in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. Originally 8063, it was renumbered 7002 after the original, a land-speed-record-setter, was scrapped...

Steam United States 11 June 1905 Claimed. Clocked at Crestline, Ohio
Crestline, Ohio
While the Census Bureau recognizes Crestline as a village, its 2000 population of 5,088 makes it a city under Ohio law.Crestline operates under a mayor-council system, with a council of eight members...

 at 127.1 mph (204.55 km/h) in 1905. However PRR Steam Locomotives did not carry speedometers at that time, speed was calculated by measuring time between mile markers, so this is not recognized as a speed record.
166.6 (103.5) Milwaukee Road class F6
Milwaukee Road class F6
The Milwaukee Road classes F6 comprised twenty-two steam locomotives of the 4-6-4 configuration, commonly nicknamed “Hudson” but known as “Baltic” on the Milwaukee Road...

 #6402
Steam United States 20 July 1934 A point between Oakwood, Illinois
Oakwood, Illinois
Oakwood is a village in Oakwood Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the 'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area'...

 and Lake, Wisconsin
Lake, Wisconsin
Lake is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Wisconsin:*Lake, Marinette County, Wisconsin, a town*Lake, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, a former town*Lake, Price County, Wisconsin, a town...

. Also averaged 75.5 mph on 85 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

, and 89.92 mph for a 68.9 mile stretch
160 (100) LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
The LNER Class A3 Pacific locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley...

 
Steam United Kingdom 30 November 1934
In 1934, Flying Scotsman achieved the first authenticated 100 mph (160 km/h) by a steam locomotive.
168.5 (104.70) LNER Class A3 No. 2750 Papyrus Steam United Kingdom 5 March 1935 First run at 100+ mph with complete, surviving documentation.
181.1 (112.5) Milwaukee Road class A
Milwaukee Road class A
The Milwaukee Road class A comprised four high-speed, streamlined 4-4-2 "Atlantic" type steam locomotives built by ALCO in 1935-37 to haul the Milwaukee Road’s Hiawatha express passenger trains. They were among the last Atlantic types built in the United States, and certainly the largest and most...

 #2
Steam United States 8 May 1935 Claimed to have sustained 112.5 mph for 14 miles. Average speed for 136 miles between Milwaukee and New Lisbon, Wisconsin
New Lisbon, Wisconsin
New Lisbon is a city in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,436 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Lisbon is located at ....

 was 74.9 mph.
180.3 (112) LNER Class A4 2509 Silver Link
LNER Class A4 2509 Silver Link
Silver Link was the first London and North Eastern Railway A4 Class locomotive, built in 1935 to pull a new train called the Silver Jubilee.-History:...

 
Steam United Kingdom 29 September 1935 Authenticated. Some sources say 112.5 mph.
200.4 (124.52) Borsig DRG series 05 002
DRG Class 05
The Deutsche Reichsbahn's Class 05 was a German class of three express passenger steam locomotives of 4-6-4 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2'C2' in the UIC notation used in continental Europe...

 
Steam Germany 11 May 1936 Level grade. Speed documentation reliable.
202.6 (125.88) LNER Class A4 No. 4468 Mallard
LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard
Number 4468 Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster, England in 1938. While in other respects a relatively typical member of its class, it is historically significant for being the holder of the official world speed record for steam...

 
Steam United Kingdom 3 July 1938 Downhill grade. Official data indicates peak speed 202.6 km/h, mean speed (half-mile) 201.2 km/h. Speed documentation not fully reliable, actual speed was probably slightly lower, but will have reached the mark of 200.4 (124.52), to equal the 05 002's record. Mallard suffered an overheated crankpin during the run, but was repaired and returned to traffic within 9 days.
182.4 (113.3) BR 18 201
DR 18 201
The German express locomotive, number 18 201 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn in East Germany, appeared in 1960-61 at Meiningen repair shop as a conversion of the Henschel-Wegmann train locomotive 61 002, the tender from 44 468 and parts of H 45 024 and Class 41...

 
Steam Germany 11 October 1972 Today's (2011) fastest operational steam locomotive.

Jet

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
295.72 (183.68) New York Central Budd
Budd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....

 RDC-3 M-497
M-497 Black Beetle
The M-497 was an experimental jet-powered locomotive test bed of the New York Central Railroad corporation, developed and tested in 1966 in the United States of America...

 
Jet aero engines
General Electric J47
|-Specifications :-Nuclear-powered version – The X39:In the 1950s, interest in the development of nuclear-powered aircraft led GE to experiment with two nuclear-powered gas turbine designs, one based on the J47, and another new and much larger engine called the X211.The design based on the J47...

 (retrofitted to roof)
Butler, Indiana
Butler, Indiana
Butler is a city in DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,684 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Butler is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...

 to Stryker, Ohio
Stryker, Ohio
Stryker is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,406 at the 2000 census.-History:Stryker is the oldest settlement in Williams County...

, United States
23 July 1966

Rocket

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
280 (174) Opel RAK III
Opel-RAK
Opel-RAK were a series of rocket vehicles produced by Fritz von Opel, of the Opel car company, in association with others, including Max Valier and Friedrich Wilhelm Sander largely as publicity stunts....

 
Rocket Germany 23 June 1928 Unmanned. Some sources say 254 or 290 km/h. See: http://www.boris-lux.de/04_types/41_tr/tr_history/trhi.php, http://www.urbin.de/historie/historie.htm, http://www.urbin.de/konstrukteure/valier.htm, http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/opel.htm, http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/O/Opel-RAK.html.

Narrow gauge

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Gauge Comments
129 (80.2) JNR
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...

 C62 steam locomotive No. C62 17
Steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

 
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
15 December 1954 On JNR Tōkaidō Main Line
Tokaido Main Line
The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...

136 (86) OMEG
Otavi Mining and Railway Company
The Otavi Mining and Railway Company was a railway and mining company in German South-West Africa...

 Rail motor coach No. «Crown Prince»
Gasoline Railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...

 
German South-West Africa
German South-West Africa
German South West Africa was a colony of Germany from 1884 until 1915, when it was taken over by South Africa and administered as South West Africa, finally becoming Namibia in 1990...

 
summer 1914
145 (90.1) Odakyū 3000 series SE
Odakyu 3000 series SE
The or SE , later becoming SSE , was a "Romancecar" EMU operated by the Odakyu Electric Railway in the Tokyo area of Japan...

 Romancecar
Romancecar
The is Odakyu Electric Railway's name for its limited express luxury tourist services south-west of Tokyo, to mountain resorts such as Gotenba and Hakone, and beaches such as Numazu and Enoshima. Service started in 1957 with the 3000 series SE trainset, it broke the world speed record for a...

Electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

 
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
27 September 1957 On JNR Tōkaidō Main Line
Tokaido Main Line
The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...

163 (101.2) JNR
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...

 151 series
Electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

 
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
31 July 1959 On JNR Tōkaidō Main Line
Tokaido Main Line
The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...

175 (108.7) JNR
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...

 KuMoYa93 test car
Electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

 
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
21 November 1960 On JNR Tōkaidō Main Line
Tokaido Main Line
The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...

245 (152.2) SAR Class 6E1 (No. E1525)
South African Class 6E1, Series 4
In 1973 and 1974 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 6E1, Series 4 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service...

Electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...

 
South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 
31 October 1978 Between Westonaria and Midway. Scheffel bogie

Hovertrain

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
100 (62.1) Aérotrain
Aérotrain
The Aérotrain was a Hovertrain developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the Aérotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance...

 01
Hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...

 train
Ground effect train
A ground effect train is an alternative to a magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground...

, Propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...

 engine
Gometz-la-Ville
Gometz-la-Ville
Gometz-la-Ville is a French communes in the Essonne department in the southern suburbs of Paris from the center of Paris.Inhabitant of Gometz-la-Ville are named Gometziens.-Geography:...

, France
21 February 1966
200 (124.3) Aérotrain
Aérotrain
The Aérotrain was a Hovertrain developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the Aérotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance...

 01
Hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...

 train
Ground effect train
A ground effect train is an alternative to a magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground...

, Propeller engine
Gometz-la-Ville, France A few days after 21 February 1966
303 (188.3) Aérotrain
Aérotrain
The Aérotrain was a Hovertrain developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the Aérotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance...

 01
Hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...

 train
Ground effect train
A ground effect train is an alternative to a magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground...

, Jet
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...

 aero engine
Gometz-la-Ville, France 23 December 1966 With the help of an auxiliary rocket.
345 (214.4) Aérotrain
Aérotrain
The Aérotrain was a Hovertrain developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the Aérotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance...

 02
Hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...

 train
Ground effect train
A ground effect train is an alternative to a magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground...

, Jet aero engine
Gometz-la-Ville, France November 1967
422 (262.2) Aérotrain
Aérotrain
The Aérotrain was a Hovertrain developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the Aérotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance...

 02
Hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...

 train
Ground effect train
A ground effect train is an alternative to a magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground...

, Jet aero engine
Gometz-la-Ville, France 22 January 1969 With the help of an auxiliary rocket.
430.4 (267.4) Aérotrain
Aérotrain
The Aérotrain was a Hovertrain developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.The goal of the Aérotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance...

 I-80 Haute Vitesse (HV)
Hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...

 train
Ground effect train
A ground effect train is an alternative to a magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground...

, Jet aero engine
Chevilly, Loiret
Chevilly, Loiret
Chevilly is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....

, France
5 March 1974 Peak speed 430.4 km/h, average speed over two runs in opposite directions 417.6 km/h on a 3 km track.

Maglev

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
90 (55.9) MBB
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...

 Prinzipfahrzeug
Maglev
Maglev train
Maglev , is a system of transportation that uses magnetic levitation to suspend, guide and propel vehicles from magnets rather than using mechanical methods, such as friction-reliant wheels, axles and bearings...

 
MBB's Ottobrunn
Ottobrunn
Ottobrunn is a municipality southeast of Munich, Bavaria, Germany, founded in 1955. Ottobrunn consists of mainly semi-detached and detached houses, and lots of gardens...

 factory (near Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

), West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....

 
6 May 1971 660 m test track; MBB
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...

: Messerschmidt-Bölkow-Blohm, Prinzipfahrzeug: Principle vehicle.
164 (101.9) Transrapid 02
Transrapid
Transrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969. The test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany was completed in 1987...

 
Maglev Krauss-Maffei
Krauss-Maffei
The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany...

's plant in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

 - Allach, West Germany
October 1971 930 m test track which included one curve.
250 (155.3) Transrapid 04
Transrapid
Transrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969. The test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany was completed in 1987...

 
Maglev Munich - Allach, West Germany end 1973
253.2 (157.3) Transrapid 04
Transrapid
Transrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969. The test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany was completed in 1987...

 
Maglev West Germany 21 November 1977
504 (313) JR-Maglev ML-500
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

R
Maglev Miyazaki
Miyazaki, Miyazaki
is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...

 Maglev Test Track, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
12 December 1979
517 (321.24) JR-Maglev ML-500
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

R
Maglev Miyazaki
Miyazaki, Miyazaki
is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...

 Maglev Test Track, Japan
21 December 1979
531 (329.94) JR-Maglev MLX01
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

 
Maglev Yamanashi
Yamanashi
Yamanashi can refer to:* Yamanashi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture with 888,170 people* Yamanashi, Yamanashi, a Japanese city with 39,631 people* Joseph Yamanashi, a recurring character on MADtv played by Bobby Lee...

 Maglev Test Line, Japan
12 December 1997 Three-car train set.
550 (341.75) JR-Maglev MLX01
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

 
Maglev Yamanashi
Yamanashi
Yamanashi can refer to:* Yamanashi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture with 888,170 people* Yamanashi, Yamanashi, a Japanese city with 39,631 people* Joseph Yamanashi, a recurring character on MADtv played by Bobby Lee...

 Maglev Test Line, Japan
24 December 1997 Three-car train set.
552 (342.99) JR-Maglev MLX01
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

 
Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan 14 April 1999 Five-car train set. Guinness Book of Records authenticated.
581 (361.01) JR-Maglev MLX01
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

 
Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan 2 December 2003 Three-car train set. Absolute record (excepting rocket sled
Rocket sled
A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets.As its name implies, a rocket sled does not use wheels. Instead, it has sliding pads, called "slippers", which are curved around the head of the rails to prevent the sled from flying off the track...

s). Guinness Book of Records authenticated.

Unmanned, other propulsion

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
401.3 (249) Komet Maglev Manching
Manching
Manching is a municipality in the district of Pfaffenhofen, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Paar, 7 km southeast of Ingolstadt...

, Germany
1974 By MBB. Propelled by six hot water rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...

s.

Relative passing speed between two trains

km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
482.6 (301.6) TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 
Electric LGV Atlantique
LGV Atlantique
The LGV Atlantique is a high-speed railway line running from Paris to Western France. It opened in 1989-1990. It divides into two parts at Courtalain, one going westward to Le Mans , the second one going southwestward to Tours .-Route:The line leaves Gare Montparnasse to cross Paris's southern...

, France
December 1989 conventional wheeled
966 (600.25) JR-Maglev MLX01
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

 
Maglev Yamanashi
Yamanashi
Yamanashi can refer to:* Yamanashi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture with 888,170 people* Yamanashi, Yamanashi, a Japanese city with 39,631 people* Joseph Yamanashi, a recurring character on MADtv played by Bobby Lee...

 Maglev Test Line, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
December 1998
1003 (623.24) JR-Maglev MLX01
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

 
Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan November 1999
1026 (637.52) JR-Maglev MLX01
JR-Maglev
JR-Maglev is a magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute . JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s...

 
Maglev Yamanashi Maglev Test Line, Japan 16 November 2004

Rocket sled

Top speed km/h (mph) Train Type Location Date Comments
1,017 (631.94) Rocket sled
Rocket sled
A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets.As its name implies, a rocket sled does not use wheels. Instead, it has sliding pads, called "slippers", which are curved around the head of the rails to prevent the sled from flying off the track...

 
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...

 (USA)
10 December 1954 Manned by John Stapp
John Stapp
John Paul Stapp, M.D., Ph.D., Colonel, USAF was a career U.S. Air Force officer, USAF flight surgeon and pioneer in studying the effects of acceleration and deceleration forces on humans...

. Fastest manned rocket-sled. Fastest manned rail vehicle. Fastest manned open-cockpit vehicle.
4,972 (3,089.45) Rocket sled
Rocket sled
A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets.As its name implies, a rocket sled does not use wheels. Instead, it has sliding pads, called "slippers", which are curved around the head of the rails to prevent the sled from flying off the track...

 
New Mexico (USA) 1959 Unmanned. It ran on SNORT (Supersonic Naval Ordnance Track).
9,845 (6,117.39) Rocket sled
Rocket sled
A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets.As its name implies, a rocket sled does not use wheels. Instead, it has sliding pads, called "slippers", which are curved around the head of the rails to prevent the sled from flying off the track...

 
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...

 (USA)
October 1982 Unmanned. It blasted a 25-pound payload to a speed of 6119 mph.
10,430 (6,480.90) Rocket sled
Rocket sled
A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets.As its name implies, a rocket sled does not use wheels. Instead, it has sliding pads, called "slippers", which are curved around the head of the rails to prevent the sled from flying off the track...

 
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...

 (USA)
30 April 2003 Unmanned. It was the final stage of a four-stage sled train, which included the sled, a Super Roadrunner rocket motor, and a 192-pound payload on top. The sled train delivered payload into a target at a velocity of 9465 feet per second, or 6453 mph (2885 m/s), or Mach 8.5.

External links

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