FASTEST TRAINS

11. Belgium's HSL-1 has been in service since 1997. The 186 mph top speed means it takes less than 90 minutes to get from Paris to Brussels.

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10. With a top speed of 190 mph, the Italian ETR 500 goes from Milan to Bologna in an hour.

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9. The Eurostar connects London and Paris, traveling under the English Channel as fast as 199 mph.

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8. The Spanish AVE Talgo-350 is this first on the list to break the 200 mph barrier. Its 205 mph top speed makes trips from Madrid to Barcelona go by in the blink of an eye.

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7. The THSR 700T can move nearly 1,000 people through Taiwan at a blazing 208 mph.

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6. South Korea's KTX 2 may carry only 360 passengers, but the 219 mph top speed means they get to their destination incredibly quickly.

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5. France's TGV Réseau 236 mph capability matches IndyCar speeds. However, normal running is limited to 199 mph.

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4. Shangai's magnetic levitation (maglev) train floats above its track thanks to powerful magnets. It covers an 18-mile trip from downtown to the airport in just 8 minutes, hitting 270 mph.

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3. Japan is known for the bullet train, so it's no surprise that the Shinkansen train has a top speed of 275 mph. It is nicknamed the "Duck-Billed Platypus" for its odd-looking, aerodynamic nose.

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2. Germany's Transrapid TR-09 uses mag-lev technology and is technically a monorail. However, the 279 mph top speed also makes it the second fastest train on the planet.

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1. The top dog in the world of fast trains is China, which broke the 300 mph barrier with the CRH380A. The 302 mph top speed makes this the fastest legal way to travel by land.

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