Have you seen this???

[patlucas]

From Erik's Rail News

New TGV Trials Aim for 570 km/h

French railway SNCF and train manufacturer Alstom are aiming to break their world record of 515 km/h from 1990. The tests will be done next year on the new Paris-Metz LGV Est, using a new type of TGV train. In the medium term, SNCF hopes to upgrade all its high-speed lines to 320 km/h, possibly 360 km/h, for ordinary service trains. (December 21st 2006, thanks Dave)

[swisstrains]

The latest edition of "Today's Railways - Europe" also mentions this.
For the planned record attempt the TGV power-cars will have modified gear ratios, larger than normal wheels and extra streamlining. The overhead power line will have it's tension increased and the voltage will be raised.

[patlucas]

Same setup as for the 1990 world speed record of 515.3 km/h achieved by a modified TGV Atlantique n°325! It has since been returned to normal service and all that remains of the record is a plaque on the side and a stripe on the nose of the power-cars.

[locojoe]

In steam days we led the world in the quest for speed , now sadly we see other countries well ahead of us. What is the british speed record (non steam) now.
Alan Locojoe.

[swisstrains]

Alan, I think we still "officially" hold the World speed record for diesel traction. I have seen two figures credited to the HST in 1973.........143 and 147 mph.

[locojoe]

Thanks for the info John that record for diesels is over 30 years old. It would seem then that nobody else bothered about fast diesels. I suppose most fast diesels have more or less gone the way of the steam locos to the scrapheap.
Alan Locojoe.

[swisstrains]

A French newspaper reports that a TGV set reached 553 km/hr during high speed tests on the Paris - Strasbourg line yesterday (13/2/2007) although no official record is being claimed at the moment. Alsthom and SNCF are still planning to go for the World record in April with a speed of between 550 - 570 km/hr.

[dario]

The Japanese maglev reached 552 km/h on 24 Dec.1999.
By just beating it by 1, the French have demonstrated that the standard gauge railway is still the King of surface transport.
The diesel record belongs to the Spanish Talgo DMU in charge to the Infrastructure, around the 250 km/h mark.
Ciao from Dario

[dario]

I forgot to mention that the Japanese maglev reached 581 km/h on 2nd december 2003.
I bet this will be beaten within the year.
Ciao from Dario

[patlucas]

Originally Posted by dario

I forgot to mention that the Japanese maglev reached 581 km/h on 2nd december 2003. I bet this will be beaten within the year.

The MagLev is not a conventionnal train as it does not operate using wheels on steel rails so you cannot compare its performance with trains as we know them.

Again from Erik's Rail News

French SNCF and Alstom broke the world rail speed record today, pushing a three-car TGV Duplex to 574,8 km/h. The train almost equalled the maglev record of 581 km/h set in Japan in 2003. The previous record for trains with steel wheels on steel rail was 515, set in France in 1990. The new record is official, in contrast to the unofficial 553 km/h record set in February. The tests have been conducted on the new Paris-Strasbourg high-speed line, phase one of which opens later this spring for service at 320 km/h.

Now, I call that impressive for steel wheels on steel rails!!!