蒋威

Of course， trains can’t fly over oceans like airplanes. But that doesn’t mean trains can’t run as fast as planes. Fortunately， some trains in this modern world are as fast as planes.

9. ETR 500 Frecciarossa， 186.4 mph， Italy

ETR1 500 Frecciarossa2 is the fastest train service in Italy， operated by Trenitalia3 company. This service runs between Milan–Rome–Naples route and offers 72 connections daily. Today there are 28 non-stop Frecciarossa trains between Milan and Rome. At the top speed of 186.4 mph， a Frecciarossa will reach Rome from Milan in just 2 hours and 40 minutes. The cars of Frecciarossa trains are soundproof4 and offer free Wi-Fi.

8. SNCF TGV Duplex， 198.8 mph， France

TGV5 Duplex is the fastest train service in France. This powerful train can touch a maximum speed of 198.8 mph. The SNCF6 railway company operates this high-speed train service. TGV duplex started the service in December 2011. It is a double-deck， high-speed train that connects all the main cities in France. It is one of the most comfortable European trains that has a seating capacity7 of 508. TGV duplex has an eco-friendly design and a recyclability8 rate of 90%. The stiff passenger compartments in the train also ensure the safety in case of the collision.

7. Alstom Euroduplex， 198.8 mph， France

Euroduplex trains are the third series of TGV Duplex high-speed trains. The French railway company SNCF operates the Euroduplex train service. This service connects French， Swiss， German and Luxembourg rail network. This multi-system， double deck train can travel at a maximum speed of 198.8 mph. Euroduplex trains started the service in December 2011. This train can transport 1020 passengers at a time. The Alstom railway company9 designs the Euroduplex trains. Unlike the previous two generations， the Euroduplex trains are less in weight and have much-improved aerodynamics. It ensures low power consumption.

6. E5 Series Shinkansen Hayabusa， 198.8 mph， Japan

E5 series10 Shinkansen Hayabusa is the fastest high-speed train service in Japan today. This train service started on 5th March 2011 and operated by the East Japan railway company. The E5 series train operates between Tokyo and Aomori. At the top speed of 198.8 mph， E5 series Shinkansen would reach Shin-Aomori station from Tokyo （distance—444.28 mi） in just 2 hours and 56 minutes. The front car of the E5 series train has a 15-meter long nose. This design helps to minimize the sound and vibration while the train goes through the tunnels. The design of Hayabusa train is based on Fastech 360S high-speed train developed by the East Japan Railway company. The E5 series Shinkansen has ten cars and a seating capacity of 731.

5. Talgo 350， 217.4 mph， Spain

Spain’s Talgo 350 high-speed train operated by the state-run railway company. This high-speed train can achieve a maximum speed of 217.4 mph. The Talgo 350 runs between Madrid and Barcelona. This train has two driving cars and 12 passenger cars. It is also known as ‘Pato’ in Spain， named after its duck beak11 like the nose of the front car. This distinctive design of Talgo 350 is optimized to handle pressure waves.

4. Siemens Velaro E/AVS 103， 217.4 mph， Spain

Velaro E12 is the Spanish version of Velaro high-speed trains developed by German engineering company Siemens. In Spain， Velaro trains are named as AVS 103. The Velaro E operates between Barcelona and Madrid. Velaro E runs at a maximum speed of 217.4 mph. Velaro E trains can take passengers from Barcelona to Madrid in just 2 hours and 30 minutes. During trials， the Velaro E achieved a top speed of 250.84 mph. Velaro E has eight passenger cars and a seating capacity of 404.

3. AGV Italo， 223.6 mph， Italy

AVG Italo is the fastest running train in Europe. This high-speed train has a maximum operational speed of 223.6 mph. But during initial test， in 2007， AVG train set a record speed of 356.6 mph. The AVG Italo operates between Rome and Naples. The passengers of AVG Italo trains can travel between these cities （distance—140 mi） in just an hour.  AVG Italo has great eco-friendly structure， 98% of its parts are recyclable.

2. Harmony CRH 380A， 236.12 mph， China

China railways Harmony CRH 380A is the second fastest operating train service in the world. In commercial service， this electric， multiple unit trains can achieve a maximum speed of 236.12 mph. But it sets a record speed of 258.58 mph during initial tests. The technology to increase the maximum speed of the train was discovered through research carried out at various universities in China. The body is integrally welded13 with low weight aluminium alloy and is shaped with a fish-head like in the front. This unusual design of the train could reduce aerodynamic pressure on running. The bogies of CRH 380A are also entirely vibration free14. The CRH 380A trains can carry 494 passengers at a time. Each passenger will get facilities like the reading lamp， power port， and an electronic display. There is also a VIP sightseeing section near the driver’s cabin. It shows a view of the running train.

1. Shanghai Maglev， 267.8 mph， China

Shanghai Maglev is the fastest train in the world with a maximum operating speed of 267.8 mph. This service runs at Shanghai’s high-speed magnetic levitation line. Maglev is an abbreviation of magnetic levitation—suspension or floating of an object by the magnetic field. Unlike regular train tracks， Shanghai Maglev has no wheel， and it floats on magnetic field existing between the train and track. This electromagnetic pull offered by the powerful magnates lets the train to fly over the track as there is no contact between train and track. Shanghai maglev could reach its top speed of 267.8 mph from 0 mph in just 4 minutes. The Shanghai’s 18.95-mile long maglev line is the only commercially operated maglev in the world. It operates between Longyang Road and Pudong international airport. The Shanghai maglev only takes 7 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the whole journey. The total passenger capacity is 574. Also， the train operates in every 15 minutes. It cost US$8 for one ticket and US$16 for a VIP ticket to travel in Shanghai maglev.

列车固然不能像飞机一样飞越海洋，但这并不意味着其速度不能像飞机一样快。当今世界，有些列车的速度已经可以与飞机媲美。

第九名  意大利ETR 500型红箭特快，时速186.4英里

ETR 500 型红箭特快是意大利速度最快的列车，由意大利铁路公司运营。该列车在米兰—罗马—那不勒斯铁路线上运行，每天72个车次。如今，米兰和罗马之间有28个车次的该型号直达列车，按最高时速186.4英里计算，从米兰抵达罗马只需2小时40分钟。该列车配备隔音车厢，并提供免费Wi-Fi。

第八名  法国TGV Duplex，时速198.8英里

TGV Duplex是法国速度最快的列车，最高时速达198.8英里，由法国国家铁路公司于2011年12月开始运营。该列车为双层高速列车，连接法国所有主要城市，是欧洲最舒适的列车之一，可乘载508人。该列车采用环保设计，可回收率达90%，客舱坚固牢靠，确保列车的碰撞安全性。

第七名  法国阿尔斯通 Euro-duplex，时速198.8英里

Euroduplex是第三代TGV Duplex高速列车，由法国国家铁路公司运营，连接法国、瑞士、德国和卢森堡铁路网络。这种多系统双层列车最高时速可达198.8英里。该列车由阿尔斯通铁路公司设计，于2011年12月投入运营，可乘载1020人。相较于前两代列车，该列车重量较轻，空气动力学性能得到很大改善，确保低功耗。

第六名  日本新干线列车E5系“隼”号，时速198.8英里

新干线E5系电力动车组是如今日本速度最快的高速列车，由东日本旅客铁路公司于2011年3月5日起在东京与青森县之间运营，最高时速达198.8英里，从东京到新青森站（距离444.28英里）最快只需2小时56分钟。该系列列车首节车厢车鼻长15米，有助于最大限度减少列车在穿过隧道时的噪音和振动。该列车设计基于东日本旅客铁路公司开发的Fastech 360S高速列车，共有10节车厢，可乘载731人。

第五名  西班牙Talgo 350，时速217.4英里

Talgo 350高速列车由西班牙国营铁路公司运营，最高时速达217.4英里，在马德里和巴塞罗那之间运行。该列车有两个驾驶舱和12个乘客舱，由于首节车厢车鼻酷似鸭嘴，该车在西班牙也被称为Pato（鸭子）。此独特设计旨在最优化处理压力波。

第四名  西班牙西门子Velaro E型列车AVS 103，时速217.4英里

Velaro E是德国西门子公司开发的一款高速列车，在西班牙，该车型被称为AVS 103。该列车在巴塞罗那和马德里之间运行，最高时速达217.4英里，从巴塞罗那抵达马德里只需2小时30分钟。试运行期间，列车最高时速曾达250.84英里。该列车有8个乘客舱，可乘载404人。

第三名  意大利AGV Italo，时速223.6英里

AVG Italo是欧洲速度最快的列车，最高运行时速达223.6英里。2007年，该列车曾在初始测试中创下时速356.6英里的纪录。该列车在罗马和那不勒斯之间运行，单程（距离140英里）只需1个小时。该列车结构非常环保，98%的部件可回收。

第二名  中国和谐号CRH380A型电力动车组，时速236.12英里

中国铁路和谐号CRH380A型電力动车组是全球速度第二快的运营列车。该多单元电力列车最高商业运行时速达236.12英里，初始测试期间还曾创下时速258.58英里的纪录。该列车的最高速度提升技术是由多所中国高校联合研究发现的。列车采用轻量化铝合金车体，车头呈鱼头状，设计独特，可降低运行时的空气动力压力，转向架也大大提高了减震效果。该列车可乘载494名乘客，每个座位都配有阅读灯、电源插座和一个电子显示屏。驾驶舱后面还设有VIP观光区，可以观看列车运行的景象。

第一名  中国上海磁悬浮列车，时速267.8英里

上海磁悬浮列车是世界上速度最快的列车，最高运行时速达267.8英里，在上海高速磁悬浮线上运行。磁悬浮是磁力悬浮的简称，指某一物体在磁场中悬浮或飘浮。与普通列车不同，上海磁悬浮列车没有轮子，而是飘浮在列车与轨道之间的磁场上，由强大的电磁牵引在轨道上飞驰，和轨道没有接触。该列车从静止状态提速到最高时速仅需4分钟。全长18.95英里的上海磁悬浮线是世界上唯一一条商业化运营的磁悬浮线路，连接龙阳路和浦东国际机场，整段旅程仅需7分20秒。上海磁悬浮列车总载客量为574人，每15分钟一班。普通单程票每张8美元，贵宾单程票每张16美元。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖选手）