The French today unveiled the world's fastest train title by accelerating a modified TGV to a white-knuckle 574.8km/h (356mph)
The previous record of 515km/h (320mph) was set in 1990, although a Japanese Maglev managed to reach a cool 581km/h (361mph) back in 2003.
The high-speed dash was made on a section of track between Paris and Strasbourg. The "V150" vehicle boasted "larger wheels than usual and the engine [pulled] three double-decker cars",and had already hit 559km/h in "unofficial trials", according to state rail outfit SNCF.President Nicolas Sarkozy helped to introduce the fastest train AGV, which stands for Automotrice Grande Vitesse, or High-Speed Railcar -- a bullet-train with a cruise speed of up to 360 kilometres per hour (210 mph).
Lighter than the TGV, it is also designed to be 98-percent recyclable.
SNCF and the train's manufacturer Alstom claim the record attempt represented "a test on the infrastructure in extreme conditions, which is impossible to carry out in the laboratory", although we suspect national pride may have played a part in it.
The AGV's innovative design is the motors fitted under each passenger carriage which constructors say slashes energy consumption by 15 percent and cuts maintenance costs.
No comments:
Post a Comment