Most Shinkansen trains operate at speeds of about 500 kilometers per hour (200 to 275 miles per hour). As new technologies are developed and instituted, future trains may achieve even greater velocities.
The longest UK train journey is Aberdeen to Penzance. Covering 785 miles, this train journey takes about 13 hours and 20 minutes to complete (give or take a few minutes). It has 36 stops and spends about two hours in total waiting for passengers to embark and disembark at each railway station along the way.
The maximum speed currently possible in the UK is 186mph, achieved by Eurostar trains on the HS1 line between London and the Channel Tunnel. The HS1 line is used by Eurostar services and Javelin commuter services from Kent, although the latter have a max speed of 140mph.
Along the current route of the Eurostar service, line speeds are 300 km/h (186 mph) except within the Channel Tunnel, where a reduced speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) applies for safety reasons.
The Eurostar travels through the Channel Tunnel at a speed of 100 miles per hour (160kph) although when the train is outside the tunnel it reaches speed of 186 miles per hour (300 kph).
The long noses are designed to reduce sonic booms in tunnels. Casablanca express: Africa's first, and so far only, dedicated high speed line carries trains at up to 320 kph (200 mph) between the port city of Tangiers and Casablanca.
The Stourbridge Town branch line is a 0.8-mile (1.3 km) railway branch line, in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is the shortest line in Britain, and can also be defined as the shortest line in Europe. A Parry People Mover approaching Stourbridge Town station.
Japan: L0 Series Maglev (374 mph)Although not yet in regular service, this Japanese train, which is currently being developed and tested by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), holds the land speed record for rail vehicles, clocking in at 374 mph.
TGVs or Trains à Grande Vitesse are the pride of SNCF (French Railways), running at up to 320 km/h (199 mph) on a network linking towns and cities across much of France. In fact, trains reach 320 km/h (199 mph) on the newer TGV-Est & TGV-Rhin-Rhone routes.
A spokesperson for the National Railway Museum confirmed that one of the trains was the record-breaking, century-old Flying Scotsman, the first steam train to reach over 100mph.
As far as I'm aware, there's no legal limit. Passenger trains do not normally exceed 12 cars (around 900 feet, dependent on rolling stock type), but many are much shorter than this.
A prominent landmark and tourist attraction, Angels Flight is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gaugefunicular railway. Situated in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California, it has two funicular cars, which are known as Olivet and Sinai.