France broke the world speed record on rails Tuesday with a souped-up fast train, a feat to showcase the technology it is trying to sell to overseas markets including China. It reached 357.2 mph as it zipped through the countryside to the applause of spectators.
Roaring like a jet plane, with sparks flying overhead and kicking up a long trail of dust, the black and chrome V150 with three double-decker cars surpassed the record of 320.2 mph set in 1990 by another French train.
The train reached its maximum speed in about 16 minutes at a site about 125 miles from Paris on a specially chosen sector of tracks of the new Eastern Europe TGV line, which will begin service between Paris and Strasbourg in June.
It just fell short of the ultimate record set by Japan’s magnetically levitated train, which sped to 361 mph in 2003.
Crowds gathered on bridges overlooking the rail tracks to watch the train race by, and national television broadcast live images from the train.
Source: The New York Times
