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Amtrak's new Acela has a top speed of 160 mph. See how it compares to the world's fastest passenger trains.

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Amtrak's new Acela has a top speed of 160 mph. See how it compares to the world's fastest passenger trains.

August 28, 2025 adminsr

2025-08-28T14:46:58Z

Amtrak launched a new, faster line of Acela trains on August 28.
The NextGen Acela trains can reach a top speed of 160 mph, surpassing the previous fleet by 10 mph.
In China, the Fuxing Hao trains typically reach a maximum speed of 217 mph.

The US is still trying to join the high-speed rail club.

On Thursday, it made its latest bid: Amtrak launched a new line of faster trains to run in the Northeast Corridor, connecting cities like Boston, New York, and Washington, DC.

The NextGen Acela trains can reach a top speed of 160 mph, outspeeding the previous Acela fleet by 10 mph.

The Acela was already the fastest train in the US. It’s followed by the Florida Brightlinewhich runs between Orlando and Miami at a top speed of 125 mph.

However, these speeds are far behind other passenger trains around the world.

While promising developments in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Texas are currently under construction, high-speed passenger trains — often characterized as systems that run above 186 mph — do not yet exist in the US, The New York Times reported.

Running on “ancient tracks,” as reported by The New York Timeseven the fastest Amtrak trains still deal with outdated transit design that prevents higher speeds.

Here are the 10 fastest trains in the world, from countries including France and China. This ranking is based on the speed at which the trains typically run rather than their top recorded speed, which often counts test runs.

7 (tie). Eurostar e320, United Kingdom

The Eurostar connects the United Kingdom to other European cities through the Eurotunnel.

Gareth Fuller – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Typical speed: 186 mph (capable of reaching 200 mph)

Type: Electric multiple unit train

Serviced route: Multiple routes, including London-Paris and London-Brussels

Years in service: Since 2015

7 (tie). ICE3, Germany

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 19, 2019 file photo, an ICE train approaches the main train station in Frankfurt, Germany. Germany's upper house of parliament has approved a plan to lower the value-added tax on train tickets, making rail travel cheaper from Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, file) — The ICE3 also has routes connecting Frankfurt to Amsterdam and Brussels.

Associated Press

Typical speed: 186 mph (capable of reaching 205 mph)

Type: Electric multiple unit train

Serviced route: Frankfurt-Cologne

Years in service: Since 2000

7 (Tie). Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000, Italy

Trenitalia Etr1000 — The Frecciarossa connects major cities in Italy, from Turin in the North to Salerno in the South.

Benson Truong/Shutterstock

Typical speed: 186 mph (capable of reaching 224 mph)

Type: High-speed rail

Serviced route: Multiple routes, connecting cities like Turin, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Salerno

Years in service: Since 2014

7 (tie). Shanghai Maglev, China

Shanghai Maglev — The Shanghai Maglev once operated at top speeds of 268 mph prior to a 2021 reduction.

Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images

Typical speed: 186 mph (capable of reaching 268 mph)

Type: Magnetic levitation

Serviced route: Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Longyang Road Station in Pudong, Shanghai (18.6 miles)

Years in service: Since 2003

6. KTX, South Korea

KTX train South Korea — The KTX tracks are designed for speeds up to 217 mph.

NGCHIYUI/Shutterstock

Typical speed: 190 mph

Type: High-speed rail

Serviced route: Multiple routes, including Seoul-Busan

Years in service: Since 2004

5. AVE S-103, Spain

AVE S-103 Spain — The AVE S-103 is one of the fastest trains in Europe.

Oriol Paris/Flickr Vision

Typical speed: 193 mph (capable of reaching 217 mph)

Type: High-speed rail

Serviced route: Madrid-Barcelona

Years in service: Since 2007

2 (tie). Al Boraq, Morocco

Al Boraq Morocco — The Al Boraq was the first high-speed rail line in Africa.

Mounir Taha/Shutterstock

Typical speed: 199 mph

Type: High-speed rail

Serviced route: Casablanca-Tangier

Years in service: Since 2018

2 (tie). TGV, France

TGV France — The TGV has been in service for over 40 years as a high-speed train.

Stefano Guidi/Getty Images

Typical speed: 199 mph

Type: High-speed rail

Serviced route: Multiple routes, including Paris-Lyon, Paris-Marseille, and Paris-Nice

Years in service: Since 1981

2 (tie). JR East E5, Japan

JR East E5 — The train connects Tokyo to northern provinces in Japan.

Sankei/Getty Images

Typical speed: 199 mph (capable of reaching 217 mph)

Type: Shinkansen bullet train

Serviced route: Tokyo-Aomori

Years in service: Since 2011

1. Fuxing Hao, China

CR400 Fuxing — The Fuxing Hao are currently the fastest trains in the world.

Xinhua News Agency/Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images

Typical speed: 217 mph

Type: Electric multiple unit train

Serviced route: Multiple routes including Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Tianjin, and Beijing-Hong Kong

Years in service: Since 2016