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What is the fastest narrow gauge train in the world?

The speed record for 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow-gauge rail is 245 km/h (152 mph), set in South Africa in 1978. A special 2 ft (610 mm) gauge railcar was built for the Otavi Mining and Railway Company with a design speed of 137 km/h (85 mph).



The world speed record for a narrow-gauge train (on 3 ft 6 in or 1,067 mm track) is 245 km/h (152 mph), a record set in South Africa in 1978. This historic run was achieved by a specially modified Class 6E1 electric locomotive on a test track between Westonaria and Welverdiend. In terms of regular commercial service, some of the fastest narrow-gauge operations can be found on Japan's JR Limited Express lines, where trains like the Sonic or Kamome reach speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) on narrow tracks before the high-speed Shinkansen (which uses standard gauge) takes over for long distances. While "standard gauge" (4 ft 8.5 in) is the norm for high-speed rail worldwide, these narrow-gauge records demonstrate the remarkable stability and engineering that can be achieved on narrower rails, which are often used in mountainous or historically constrained regions like Japan, South Africa, and parts of Australia.

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