World's Fastest Train - The Race for Speed | Free Documentary

574.8 kilometers per hour is the new

world

record on rails and a plane takes off at 300 kilometers per hour, now we are doing almost double the search for super

train

s entered a new phase in the fifties, when locomotives went from 140 kilometers per hour at the crazy

speed

of 330 kilometers per hour with equipment pushed to the limit and drivers facing unknown risks the design techniques of the time made it impossible to predict what would happen thanks to 3D reconstructions we will see the impact of innovative technology and construction secrets that allowed engineers to break records that were considered unattainable the TGV runs on a helicopter turbine we had to invent completely new tools from generation to generation the

train

s went faster and faster there were some daring projects but also a revolutionary engine the aerotrain fleet Thanks to its air cushion, it almost completely eliminates friction from the first electric locomotives pushed to the limit to the AGV trains that reached 600 kilometers per hour, passing through the TGV and the aero train with its exceptional propulsion.

This is the incredible story of the

race

for

speed

on rails in which everything begins In the mid-1950s in post-war France the atmosphere is optimistic and speed is in fashion and the speed of trains in particular, however the steam locomotives of the 50s charge at more than 140 kilometers per hour since to reach that speed the heat in the oven must exceed 800 degrees Celsius, a temperature that is obtained thanks to the presence of multiple tubes in the water tank, the more tubes there are, the more surface areas. heating there is so more steam can be released one liter of cold water produces 173 liters of steam this steam puts pressure on a piston the piston creates a back and forth movement in a connecting rod the connecting rod attached to a wheel will make the engine go Faster and faster trains could now run up to 160 kilometers per hour, but to exceed this speed you have to rethink the train and forget about coal engines.

With this in mind, French engineers look to the Paris metro and its technology for inspiration. Electrical We immediately saw that electricity could produce much greater energy at a much lower cost. In 1952, the French state railway SNCF decided to electrify the track between Paris and Lyon. A power plant would provide the energy needed by the train. A current of 1,500 volts is thus transmitted through a copper cable located above the track, called a catenary. The faster the train goes, the narrower the catenary must be. allowing the train to absorb enough electricity the rigidity of the copper cable is essential as it has to withstand the pressure exerted by a key part of the train is the pantograph an arch-shaped structure located at the top of the main car that is responsible for collecting electric current the pantograph is a revolutionary invention 70 years later it is still present in the most recent high-speed trains it still weighs as always almost 200 kilograms at the beginning its details are a well-kept secret even today several parts are still protected by patents Like its air resistance index, the pantograph is a bit like the wing of an airplane that is pushed upwards despite the pressure caused by speed.

The composition of the arch prevents it from breaking from its structure and the accessories constitute an intricate piece. of engineering however at this level of speed there is a problem in lifting the copper wire several centimeters it would only take a few minutes for the arc to be cut in half under the effect of speed the engineers will have to find a solution the catenary was arranged zigzag so that it can slide across the pantograph if the line were straight it would have the effect of a sword the catenary which could then slide laterally for several tens of centimeters once contact is made the current is sent to a transformer and then to the bogie motors, huge cards with wheels, the electric current will directly power the motors.

It is a system that promises unprecedented power that will allow trains to reach speed levels never before achieved. Two manufacturers are chosen for the job. Alstom and Schneider, which meant two locomotives each with a different technology, the type bb and the ccc, schneider's bb has four wheels, per bogey, alstom cc has six, which gives it better grip at high speed, both trains will be a complete innovation. in the railway market and are destined to become masterpieces of French engineering but there is still no thought of breaking records to inaugurate the new era on February 21, 1954 the engineers will carry out a test on the line between Paris and New York the cc will go at full speed to observe its behavior the train designed to run at 160 kilometers per hour actually ran at 243 kilometers per hour 243 kilometers per hour is a speed record the success of this test with completely standard equipment will greatly motivate the engineers now one of them fernan nuvion proposes the greatest railway challenge in the

world

The time has come to launch the two new trains at full speed giving them power never before developed, the question was where can we carry out a test at such speeds and as is happening in the southwest there is a line that runs perfectly straight for 40 kilometers.

Once the trajectory is defined, some modifications are made to take the locomotives to the maximum of their possibilities. The conductivity of the catenary through which the current passes is increased to 2000 volts instead of the 1500 that are the normal norm in the railway network in this way the locomotives develop powers of eight megawatts when they were designed for three or four, that is more than double the design specifications no one yet knows what problems can occur beyond 250 kilometers per hour however The engineers are imaginative the windshields of the locomotives were equipped with a wire mesh there was a fear that the birds would collide at 300 kilometers per hour, which could cause serious damage to the driver's cabin with such a high starting power.

It was also feared that during the first meters it would be difficult for the conductor to control the power of the engines and prevent the wheels from skidding, so the manufacturers decided to create a special device to provide an anti-slip system, which is why there is sand on board the motors to increase grip. The sand prevents slipping when starting. It is still used in current engines. They have tanks that open for pouring. removes the necessary amount of sand on March 28, 1955 the Austin CC undertakes the 40 kilometers of straight line an engine equipped with the latest technology is expected to reach a speed of 300 kilometers per hour or more if possible soon the CC reaches the speed Previous year's record is 243 kilometers per hour and the locomotive is ready to go much faster.

The symbolic barrier of 300 kilometers per hour has been reached, but with such performance, technology is being pushed to the limit, in particular the catenary demonstrates this. worrying signs the contact cable and the pantograph were gone so the electricity arced in all directions the bow began to melt and as the pantograph was almost destroyed they took emergency measures and lowered it the locomotive sprayed 243 kilometers per hour they had gone at more than 300 kilometers per hour hour the order is still given to stop the train as soon as possible the cc could have gone even faster but it could also derail at any moment the men on board are in danger an apparently curious order is given to the train drivers train they told them to open all the windows to allow air in and decelerate everything there was no doubt at the time of braking 331 kilometers per hour we simply did not know how to do it today the engines allow emergency stop tests to be carried out at such speeds the 390 tons of the last trains will stop after 3,000 meters the cc only stopped after 10,000 meters and there was serious damage to the configured engine the cc had destroyed its transmission system and melted its pantograph it had reached the limits of feasibility that the cc had broken the speed record, but when it reaches the platform the feat is not made public the top brass of the sncf have issued a directive according to which the results will not be communicated before the second day and the performance of the schneider bb train is there Fear that one of the two engines is significantly less efficient than its competitor.

The financial risks for both companies are colossal. State orders for new trains would ensure business for years. The next day, March 29, 1955, it is Schneider's bb's turn to try to break the world record. After a few minutes the train reaches a maximum speed of 331 kilometers per hour. Upon arrival, the results of the two tests are finally announced. Surprisingly, it is the same speed for the bb and the cc. It is a figure that satisfies everyone, but it is not true. cc never reached 331 kilometers per hour but stopped at 320, it could have gone faster, but for safety reasons it was decided to settle for this speed, so the record properly belongs to schneider, in addition, the schneider bb achieved this record with a handicap compared to the austin train the day after the cc performance the temperature had risen considerably the day of the bb

race

it was much hotter a difference of almost 10 degrees centigrade causes a notable relaxation of the catenary a relaxed catenary poses the risk of considerable ripple when the pantograph exerts pressure from below and that makes current collection difficult without these power outages, the bb could have exceeded 331 kilometers per hour, but its performance close to that of the alstom engine satisfies everyone and the News of a world record set by two different engines resonates beyond borders.

It appeared in the headlines of regional, national and even international news. 331 kilometers per hour was then the absolute world speed record for trains. The double feat served as an example for all countries seeking solutions for future rail traffic. Manufacturers Alstom and Schneider. They would charge a high price for their knowledge, since the global railway market offers spectacular possibilities, but these feats also satisfied the appetite of other companies two years after the double speed record saw the light of day, an engine taken from the future the ambition of their creators breaking the state-funded record by exceeding 350 kilometers per hour is called aerotren this exceptional invention with its unique mechanics that makes conventional trains seem totally obsolete is the creation of jean beta an ingenious inventor in the field of aeronautics an entrepreneur bold and an important player in advanced post-war research, his latest project, the aerotrain, is a kind of rocket propelled horizontally by a system very different from that of trains to move at high speeds, the aerotrain blows air beneath itself and Then it rises a few centimeters thanks to its air cushion and thus almost completely avoids friction.

It is a technology that eliminates the wheel after thousands of years. It was a gigantic step. The hovertrain runs on an inverted T-shaped rail. A turbine drives the fans to raise the entire configuration. The train then rests on a real cushion of air. A second helicopter turbine located at the rear drives a 2.4 meter diameter propeller made up of seven blades that just need to be pushed and on its air cushion it will move at extraordinary speed. There is still air. resistance but not more rolling resistance, however, another 10 years of studies are needed before the final prototype of the hovertrain enters the race, demonstrating to the world that it is the future of high-speed transportation on January 22, 1969 jean beta He launches his horizontal rocket on his concrete railway.

The maximum speed obtained as announced by the engineer seemed incredible to me. 422 kilometers per hour, almost 100 kilometers more than the 331 kilometers per hour of the previous record, the railway engineers continue working on the prototype of their hovertrain. classic they embark on a new The project also has to be revolutionary with a new design. A maximum speed never achieved before, but inspired by the hovertrain in its motorization. The principle of the hovertrain is adapted. The train will produce its own power without the help of a catenary inside the engine. A gas turbine will activate an alternator which in turn will create electricity which will then power the engines of the bogeys.

This new system will allow trains to run even faster and beat existing speed records. The TGV is born simply means high speed turbo train. challenge for railway engineers is to demonstrate the level of technology achieved by surpassing the existing record with the highest speed ever achieved but to do this they will have to transform the old trains that have fulfilled their purpose with new engines adapted to high speed for the first time a train does not It is pulled by a locomotive but is made up of two motorized cars at each end that can run in any direction.

This is extremely important. A train that isreversible allows us to use it much better if the trains go faster. The traffic on the tracks will intensify, so it is necessary to be able to save time in maneuvers at the stations, thanks to the new design the trains can leave in both directions and that is a clear advantage compared to the aerotrain that can only travel in one direction, forward and backward. The TGV cars also undergo an external transformation as new levels of speed open up a new field of concern: aerodynamics or, in short, how the previous speed record can be beaten when the design of classic locomotives acts as a brake. .

The air resistance is catastrophic. The front is worse than the wall as it repels air and slows down the train. The result is a waste of electrical energy. Air resistance is a predominant factor in energy consumption. Better aerodynamics would reduce energy consumption by 20 percent. The objective is to prevent the air from affecting as much as possible the shape you have in mind. The best examples of the time are the designs of the cars. Their bodies adopt new aerodynamic shapes, which is why Alstom, the builder of the future, TGV, is going to resort to man who designed the last porsches and that is jacques cooper cooper goes away to transform the shape of the train it lengthens considerably the tip of the front car is a revolution on the railway but an absolute necessity to not be slowed down by the mass of air when we swim we fight against a mass and we make efforts to move.

Advancing against that mass with air is exactly the same, as soon as you advance, you create turbulence and the effect of that turbulence is that it holds the object back, but if the air can be pierced better by the part front of the train, can still arrive. stuck between the cars as was the case with previous trains so how do you upgrade a train to break a speed record? What transformations must be applied so that the train can penetrate the opaque mass of air, you just have to imagine another revolution and this one refers to the ghosts, those enormous carriages that include the axles and wheels under the carriages that transport the passengers, They are relocated to fit between the carriages and are connected by a cylinder, as a result the train now looks like a long tube, the air no longer has points of attack and this design also offers a great advantage from a safety point of view.

Experience has shown that when a train derails the cars remain firmly attached to each other and this solidity prevents them from settling when the bogeys spread under the trains. It was enough for the head of the train to derail for the following cars to take completely random paths with the bogies between the cars. The train becomes a single unit and the chances of it completely going off the rails are almost zero. Less bogies in the train. It also means that its total weight can be reduced by several tens of tons, but if the TGV is to break all speed records, the driver also needs additional help on high-speed trains, the driver no longer has time to watch the signals, so I had to invent another system on the TGV.

The sensors are placed in front of the first axle and constantly read the speed at which the train can run on current high-speed lines; It is still this procedure that allows the driver to maintain the speed authorized in the system. Safety we have a safety system to alert the driver when he is going too fast and if he does not react, he automatically activates a device that will stop the train. All these innovations are implemented to ensure a smooth attempt at world speed. record of December 8, 1972 the TGV-001 departs on the same track as previous trains in the train.

One car is filled with high technology that analyzes its performance in real time and engineers examine data on the behavior of the train every Eyes are fixed on the speed dial of 318 kilometers per hour It is a promising start If the helicopter turbine can be developed a little more Engineers believe they will reach the 420 kilometers per hour of the hovertrain Your company now has a possible repetition of the madness generated by jean el motor de bataan unfortunately we are in 1973, a year of global repercussions that will condemn the future of the aerotrain and the TGV-001 the oil crisis causes a global commotion the price of a barrel of crude oil explodes and the helicopter turbines in the aerotren and the TGV are large consumers of fuel, so in the end this technique was a failure.

The Tgv project and the aerotrain are archived. He killed the hovertrain. He killed my father. He died a few months later, but during all these years the aerotrain had made the Conventional railway seem a thing of the past and now there is another means of electric transport: it is the shinkansen, the new star of Japanese railways, which circulates at a remarkable commercial speed. at that time, 210 kilometers per hour, but the shinkansen is not comparable to French trains. As this is a magnetically levitated shuttle, the carriages are lifted by powerful magnets. However, this view of modern transportation contributes to the image of the train as hopelessly outdated.

The Minister at the time said that the train was finished, but French engineers are determined to get it back on track. Faced with the challenge and to give a great blow to reverse the trend, many engineers went to see what was being done in Japan with the shinkansen system and that helped a lot to expand since on December 21, 1971 the Japanese train reached 517 kilometers. per hour at an incredible speed, but it is achieved on a special monorail track, while in France the tracks have to accommodate freight trains and there are even still sections for classic trains, but it is clear that the race for speed is now developing on a global scale and that is why new technologies are required.

To compete in the race you need nothing less than a new train, but it must meet two requirements: it must be 100% electric so as not to depend on the rise in the price of oil and it must be able to run at very high speeds every day. Nowadays, engineers do not have to go far to find the answer, they only need the TGV with a new formula, without its helicopter turbine and re-equipped with a pantograph, that is, a TGV 2.0, which is what we know today as train. imagined almost 50 years ago to still travel at 250 kilometers per hour every day there is an obligation there must be a difference of 150 to 200 kilometers per hour between the record speed of the trains and the commercial speed if you want to train races comfortably at 260 kilometers per hour and within the safety margins it must be demonstrated that the train can exceed 380 kilometers per hour without problems, the margin is necessary to reassure not only officials but also future passengers, so once the more the race is at stake.

The bar is set at 100 meters per second. The project is baptized as TGV 100. To prepare for the new speed record, not only the train but also the track will be profoundly modified since the electric current coming from the power plants will jump from the traditional one. 1,500 to 25,000 volts to guarantee such a powerful electric current along the entire line, substations must be built at a distance of 50 kilometers. These small bases will adapt and reduce the gross power sent by the central station for the high-speed line. between Paris and Lyon the control and management of the substations is done from Paris here it is checked that the intensity of the supply of the small copper wire is constant the catenary receives a current 20 times more powerful than before but it must also adapt to the conditions specifics of a record run because engineers anticipate a problem the pantograph when pressing the catenary at high speeds will create a ripple in the copper cable it is a phenomenon feared by engineers if the pantograph reaches the ripple it will lose contact with the copper cable and only hit it intermittently because if it starts the category it means disaster, so how can you make the catenary lift as little as possible and remain in constant contact with the pantograph on a high speed line?

The catenary stretches to 2600 deca newtons, that is, almost double. the tension in a conventional line, the counterweights on the masts are increased to further stiffen the structure that holds the catenary, an essential process. The infrastructure on the ground is also modified since the old 30-meter rails cause a crash every time the train passes through a weld. Therefore, the entire system is redesigned. Rails almost 300 meters long that are delivered by special trains. These bars are assembled using a special technique. They are welded with aluminum. The result is a rail without intermediate mechanical joints. The disadvantage of extremely long rails is that when temperatures increase they tend to bend upwards along their entire length, which is why we choose very heavy rails that weigh 60 kilograms per meter so as not to be left with a target speed of 380 kilometers per hour.

The infrastructure around the train has been rethought to correspond. the laws of physics, no train bound for rails has ever come close to the speed of the planned record, it is a leap into the unknown, the entire country has its eyes riveted on the record attempt, it is like launching a rocket into the horizontal, the tension increases in the back car the driver has engineers to observe and recover the information provided by the train itself, of course, the train was loaded with sensors, since during all the previous tours, on February 26, 1981, the TGV 100 It launched for driver Jacques Reese, doing 380 kilometers per hour is beyond anything he's done before in the cabin, it has a threshold of 170 where you can see the trains speeding up, then it has another at 210 and again at 280.

However, Jacques Ruiz is not alone, engineers and managers are present to help the driver. Yes in the photos they tell me I look tense but when you go so fast you can't let yourself be distracted by the people in the office 372 kilometers per hour 73. 74 75 76 77 78. we have reached 380 kilometers per hour hour 380 kilometers per hour it beats the world record of 1955 but they cannot go faster due to the force of the air the pantograph dangerously detaches itself from the train pushing the catenary too high we already had an elevation of more than 21 centimeters so the limits of the TGV 100 have been reached but The benefits are unprecedented with the train and the facilities that will be used in daily traffic.

Its cutting-edge technology at the service of passengers. This train is not a utopia. It is precisely the train that will run into the future. The interesting thing was that we were beating records with commercial equipment the world record makes the TGV a global success and the lines extend throughout France the high-speed train becomes the new icon of rail transport passengers eager to board the orange train but like all records This will also be pursued seven years later on May 1, 1988 the German manufacturer Siemens sends its ice between Hannover and Würzburg at 406 kilometers per hour France loses its title it is a serious blow to the pride of the nation by the manufacturer Alstom now there is only one objective: overcome the Germans all forces will be concentrated on this objective the commercial future of one of the jewels of French technology is at stake this time they must hit hard to not be surpassed a few months later the objective is to end any hope of To be on an equal footing with the French railway sector, the planned speed must put an end to all competition.

For a long time we expected to overcome the barrier of 500 kilometers per hour. It is a mythical barrier, but how are the engineers going to achieve this feat? Can they improve the rigidity of the catenary so that it does not break at more than 380 kilometers per hour and what are the new limitations at that speed? At 600 kilometers per hour an Airbus is in the air again, they have to overcome the limits of the train and work on its steel body since during the previous record at 380 kilometers per hour the sides of the train began to erode the windows that protruded slightly of the sheet metal so the higher the speed the more exposed they were to the blast of air and we are talking about sheet metal only a few millimeters thick with an imperfect air flow everything that protrudes is now removed so when the train is underway there is a continuous abrasion of three to four hours the effect is a real break in the train so the fuselage must be perfected to the last millimeter for the first time rubber membranes are placed between the cars the designers work on the aerodynamics of the first car but also at the tail of the train so that the air flows without breaking too much.

Metal shields are placed on the bogeys to prevent air from entering inside. The diameter of the wheels, which is traditionally 920 millimeters, is increased to gain speed on top of the train. train the pantograph is placed on a firmer suspension so as not to lift the catenary, as happened during the 1981 record, when the copper cable had been pushed up about 20 centimeters, it was tensioned once again to ensure theclosest possible contact with the bow, but not only the train that is modified, the infrastructure is also adapted, the line is secured by fences two to three meters high along its entire length to avoid accidents with animals that cross the tracks run over by a tgv at 300 kilometers per hour causes a lot of damage but the fences may not be enough there is also surveillance along the tracks there are some hunters and hunting federations with whom we have collaborations everything is ready for registration but before inviting the press from all over the world a series of high-speed tests will be carried out several times a day The train is approaching the 500 mark, we were gradually increasing the speed and each time we monitored all the data to verify that we were still within a safe margin.

Then on May 18, 1990, we told the top brass, okay, we can go, the public holds its breath. As the record attempt is broadcast live on television, will the engineers win their bet and surpass 500 kilometers per hour on rails? Nobody has ever done it. The suspense is the total speed 494. Passing Vandom station in a few seconds. Passing Vendome station at a speed of 495.17. a few kilometers per hour from the magical 500 but anything can still happen the catenary can break the pantograph can break due to speed the engineers on board examine the reactions recorded by the sensors anxiety and excitement come together until delivery 500 514 15 515 something i will read later cuts all the tractions we are seeing after being held for two years by the germans france recovers the railway speed record on may 18, 1990 the german interlude apart france has held the world record for the last 36 years the tgv the brand has been reestablished and is exported all over the world It will be 16 years until in 2006 the railway engineers once again roll up their sleeves the french state railways prepare the opening of a new line between paris and strasbourg a new speed record on this via giving it an exceptional boost the new track offers 200 kilometers at high speed with a straight section of more than 40 kilometers and curves with comfortably large radii the v150 project was born for 150 meters per second and again there will be a new version of the TGV a true super train is the agv alstom high speed train with new motorization a rotor that rotates inside the motor and drives the wheels the agv motor weighs three quarters of a ton and consists of two parts there is a sheet metal stator inside which a motor winding receives the electric current in its center there is a rotor formed by a set of sheet metal and cobalt magnets that provide a magnetic force of exceptional dimensions the stator rotates the rotor the power thus generated is phenomenal for a motor classified as light but there is another peculiarity that There is not only one motor at the head and tail of the train there is also one in each of the bogeys between the cars but this creates its own problems all metal tools were banned on the production lines because the smallest wrench or any The hammer immediately stuck to the magnets.

The technicians had enormous difficulties in assembling these motors. The power of the motors is considerable. In theory, the train can reach 600 kilometers per hour. Its eight motors are equivalent to 8,000 wagons. In terms of the exterior design, the AGV has a even more rounded shape than we were Approaching the sphere of aviation technology, still, at more than 500 kilometers per hour there are new problems, such as strong crosswinds that can tilt up to 80 percent of the train's weight towards a side. Crosswinds that meet two square shapes, even if they are conical, will tend to cause There is a lot more lift, which is why we rounded the corners even more at the front, the windshield also lies flat for better air penetration and in the bodywork engineers have hidden more than 600 sensors to record the behavior of the train.

There are even miniature recorders on the wheels. During the first tests the train goes at more than 500 kilometers per hour, but then the hubcaps that cover the sensors give way at this speed, they are simply torn off by the air current, so the manufacturer decides to put thicker covers on the sensors, but it is the covers that cause real panic during a test five days before the date set for the record attempt on March 29, 2007, the press is invited on board the AGV to spread the comfort of traveling at 500 kilometers per hour when we reached 506 kilometers per hour we heard a phenomenal noise that of course scared everyone, it is caused by one of the hubcaps that came off the wheel, people were clean in their seats Thinking, my God, what is happening, the train makes an emergency stop and this time it only takes three kilometers to stop. instead of ten, it is a new record, but it was never intended to be set;

It is the first time in history that a train stops at more than 500 kilometers per hour, but it shows that the train can cope with the most unexpected situations in less than three months 40 tests are carried out gradually increasing the speed on April 2 2007 the train even reaches 568 kilometers per hour an incredible speed that takes everyone by surprise no one imagined that the train could go so fast during the tests even the plane planned to take photographs was not fast enough to keep up with the train The plane had to fly at a low altitude so its speed was limited and in this case the train was going faster than the plane.

All the indicators gave the green light. The next day the French and the international media followed the attempt on live television. world speed record if the train exceeds the 515 kilometers per hour of the 1990 record it is 13 hours the train leaves the city of prani in the direction of nancy paris after 10 kilometers the agv begins to accelerate seriously powered by electrical voltage sent to the catenary from this point the normal voltage of 000 volts had been increased to 31,000 volts to provide additional power 6,000 more volts i.e. an increase of 25 in the power sent to the copper wire, here we go. initial voltage 31.2 kv change to 316 360. correct 710a 29.9 kv the rigidity of the catenary caused by the counterweights of the masts to withstand the wave generated by the bow has been increased by 50 percent it cannot be jumped two tons to four tons that would be too abrupt we stretch to two point eight tons then to three tons so that we have progressive tension and approach the record zone with the tension of four tons the train is at full power but if the speed is too much high the train derailed there was a succession of curves with increasing radii in the first curve we were able to run at 350 kilometers per hour we had already seen that up to 350 everything will be fine but at 355 the train will lean to one side and derail we need eric p jack only 10 minutes to reach the speed of the previous record of 1990 515.3 kilometers per hour and the speed is increasing 30 minutes 574.8 kilometers per hour or almost 160 meters per second attention, all after the control and validation of the official speed reached during a the speed is 574.8 kilometers per hour 17 years after the 1990 feat the third generation TGV surpasses the previous record by 59 kilometers per hour it is almost half the speed of sound the commercial speed with passengers can therefore be increased to 320 kilometers per hour daily today we drive at speeds that until recently were world records exceeding 574 kilometers per hour has become the criterion of any country when trying to break a record, Japan does it It has managed to drive at more than 600 kilometers per hour, but on rails that only the shinkansen can support, there are still other nations ready to participate in the race.

The Chinese would love to take this record from us. Let's wait and see the Americans and their brilliant inventor Elon Musk. They are working on it with an incredible concept, the hyperloop in which passengers will sit in a capsule and the cylindrical train will move in a long vacuum tube thanks to a levitation system created by powerful magnets. The capture will be suspended without friction and without resistance. of the air so that nothing can hinder the progress of the shuttle with a powerful electric motor could reach speeds It was unimaginable a few years ago and exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour, but this is still just a concept and has sparked considerable skepticism.

How can you drive a vehicle at extremely high speed in a vacuum tube without encountering a host of problems? a passenger locked in a vacuum tube for 10 20 30 minutes straight the other problem that the jean-bhutan aerotrain has already encountered is the prohibitive cost of infrastructure for hyperloop like the aerotrain these systems require that entire urban areas be flattened to allow them access to city centers, while the TGV can travel on roads that have existed for two centuries. A new speed record reaching 650 or 700 kilometers per hour would mean that commercial trains could run at 380 or even 400 kilometers per hour at this time. level the budget would skyrocket the faster we go the more expensive it becomes to manufacture and maintain the cars the costs to go from 320 to 380 kilometers per hour would quadruple at the moment the race for speed is taking a break, it will be many years before The engineers will work these days on a new record.

Ecological aspects call for moderation and demand focuses on passenger comfort, from the first electric locomotives such as the cc7100 to the latest double-decker TGV trains and the incredible aerotrain that has brought the race for speed on rails. helped to develop a unique know-how that is exported around the world the TGV 4.0 planned for the next decade will be a synthesis of all the technological innovations implemented over the last 50 years transport comfort silent operation inside the cars a low carbon footprint carbon 5g connectivity everything combines to make this train the new next-generation reference in railway travel the Japanese with their maklev rocket exceeded 603 kilometers per hour for about 10 seconds a new world record for a levitating train thanks to powerful magnets The TGV still holds the record for the train that can run on decades-old rails, but there is a vision to surpass the 700 mark and history has shown that sometimes even the most incredible goals can be achieved.