Data story

The fastest train in every country

Name: The fastest train in every country, by average speed
Creator: TrainRouter
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

101 countries, ranked by the speed their quickest train actually averages — not top speed.

Open the interactive railway map →

“Fastest train” usually means a headline top speed — a number a train might touch on one perfect stretch of track. It says little about actually getting somewhere. So this atlas ranks all 101 countries with intercity rail by a more honest figure: the speed their quickest train averages from origin to destination on its fastest scheduled run. The gap between the two is the story.

Countries ranked: 101
Fastest average: 307 km/h
Median country: 85 km/h
Average ≥ 200 km/h: 6 countries

The fastest sustained run on Earth

China's Jinghu High-Speed averages 307 km/h from Beijing to Shanghai — 88% of its 350 km/h top speed, held for 1,318 km.

Top speed is a sprint, not a journey

The Shanghai Maglev touches 431 km/h, the highest on the map — but as a 30 km airport run it averages just 225. What a journey feels like is the average, not the peak.

The fastest train isn't where you'd expect

The United States' quickest, the Acela, averages 109 km/h end to end — behind 33 other countries, from Morocco to Uzbekistan to Russia.

Average speed of the fastest train in each country

Solid gold is the speed each country's fastest train averages end to end; the faint bar and tick mark its headline top speed. 101 countries, fastest first.

How we measured it

Average speed is route length divided by the fastest scheduled end-to-end journey time; figures are approximate published values, not live timetables. Only intercity day trains are ranked — night sleepers and purely scenic lines are journeys, not speed runs. Where a train crosses borders it counts for every country it serves, so a country's “fastest train” is the fastest one you can board there, domestic or international. Every number comes from the open TrainRouter Atlas (CC BY 4.0, archived at DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21322030) — free to check or reuse.

Every country, ranked

#	Country	Fastest train	Avg	Top
1	🇨🇳 China	Jinghu High-SpeedBeijing–Shanghai · 1,318 km · 4 h 18 min	307	350
2	🇫🇷 France	TGV inOuiParis–Bordeaux · 581 km · 2 h 04 min	281	320
3	🇪🇸 Spain	AVEMadrid–Barcelona · 621 km · 2 h 30 min	248	310
4	🇯🇵 Japan	Sanyo ShinkansenOsaka–Fukuoka · 553 km · 2 h 21 min	235	300
5	🇹🇼 Taiwan	THSRTaipei–Kaohsiung · 345 km · 1 h 34 min	220	300
6	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	EurostarLondon–Paris · 492 km · 2 h 16 min	217	300
7	🇧🇪 Belgium	EurostarLondon–Brussels · 373 km · 1 h 53 min	198	300
8	🇮🇹 Italy	FrecciarossaRome–Naples · 225 km · 1 h 10 min	193	300
9	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	Haramain High-SpeedMecca–Medina · 450 km · 2 h 20 min	193	300
10	🇮🇩 Indonesia	WhooshJakarta–Bandung · 142 km · ≈ 45 min	189	350
11	🇷🇺 Russia	SapsanMoscow–St. Petersburg · 650 km · 3 h 30 min	186	250
12	🇰🇷 South Korea	KTXSeoul–Busan · 417 km · 2 h 15 min	185	305
13	🇭🇰 Hong Kong	Guangzhou–Hong Kong XRLGuangzhou–Hong Kong · 142 km · 47 min	181	300
14	🇹🇷 Türkiye	Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT)Ankara–Konya · 306 km · 1 h 45 min	175	250
15	🇦🇹 Austria	KoralmbahnGraz–Klagenfurt · 130 km · 45 min	173	250
16	🇩🇪 Germany	ICECologne–Frankfurt · 180 km · 1 h 04 min	169	300
17	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	AfrosiyobTashkent–Bukhara · 600 km · 3 h 40 min	164	250
18	🇳🇱 Netherlands	Eurostar (Thalys)Paris–Amsterdam · 545 km · 3 h 20 min	164	300
19	🇲🇦 Morocco	Al BoraqTangier–Casablanca · 323 km · 2 h 10 min	149	320
20	🇸🇪 Sweden	SJ X2000Stockholm–Gothenburg · 455 km · 3 h 05 min	148	200
21	🇨🇭 Switzerland	TGV LyriaParis–Zürich · 590 km · 4 h 03 min	146	320
22	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	Etihad RailAbu Dhabi–Fujairah · 250 km · 1 h 45 min	143	200
23	🇷🇸 Serbia	SokoBelgrade–Subotica · 182 km · 1 h 19 min	138	200
24	🇵🇱 Poland	Express InterCity PremiumWarsaw–Katowice · 298 km · 2 h 20 min	128	200
25	🇫🇮 Finland	VR PendolinoHelsinki–Oulu · 690 km · 5 h 25 min	127	200
26	🇬🇷 Greece	Hellenic InterCityAthens–Thessaloniki · 502 km · ≈ 4 h	126	200
27	🇩🇰 Denmark	Lyntog Copenhagen–AarhusCopenhagen–Aarhus · 330 km · 2 h 39 min	125	180
28	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Tanzania SGRDar es Salaam–Dodoma · 460 km · 3 h 42 min	124	160
29	🇵🇹 Portugal	Alfa PendularLisbon–Porto · 336 km · 2 h 50 min	119	220
30	🇮🇪 Ireland	InterCityDublin–Cork · 266 km · 2 h 15 min	118	160
31	🇺🇦 Ukraine	Kyiv–Lviv Intercity+Kyiv–Lviv · 575 km · ≈ 5 h	115	160
32	🇨🇿 Czechia	SC PendolinoPrague–Ostrava · 356 km · 3 h 7 min	114	160
33	🇨🇦 Canada	VIA Rail CorridorToronto–Montreal · 541 km · 4 h 56 min	110	160
34	🇺🇸 United States	AcelaBoston–Washington, D.C. · 735 km · ≈ 6 h 45 min	109	240
35	🇳🇴 Norway	Oslo–StockholmOslo–Stockholm · 520 km · 4 h 50 min	108	200
36	🇮🇱 Israel	Jerusalem High-Speed LinkTel Aviv–Jerusalem · 57 km · 32 min	107	160
37	🇷🇴 Romania	Bucharest–Constanța InterCityBucharest–Constanța · 225 km · 2 h 07 min	106	160
38	🇭🇺 Hungary	RailjetVienna–Budapest · 243 km · 2 h 20 min	104	230
39	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	BDŽ Fast Train PlovdivSofia–Plovdiv · 156 km · 1 h 30 min	104	130
40	🇧🇾 Belarus	Minsk–Brest Business ClassMinsk–Brest · 346 km · 3 h 20 min	104	140
41	🇱🇦 Laos	Laos–China RailwayKunming–Vientiane · 1,035 km · ≈ 10 h	104	160
42	🇦🇺 Australia	The ProspectorPerth–Kalgoorlie · 653 km · 6 h 45 min	97	160
43	🇪🇪 Estonia	ElronTallinn–Tartu · 185 km · 1 h 55 min	97	120
44	🇲🇾 Malaysia	KTM ETSKuala Lumpur–Butterworth · 380 km · 4 h	95	140
45	🇮🇳 India	Vande Bharat ExpressNew Delhi–Varanasi · 759 km · 8 h	95	130
46	🇰🇪 Kenya	Madaraka ExpressNairobi–Mombasa · 472 km · ≈ 5 h	94	120
47	🇱🇹 Lithuania	LTG LinkVilnius–Kaunas · 102 km · 1 h 5 min	94	160
48	🇸🇰 Slovakia	ZSSK InterCityBratislava–Košice · 445 km · 4 h 51 min	92	160
49	🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	Baku–Ganja ExpressBaku–Ganja · 363 km · ≈ 4 h	91	160
50	🇨🇱 Chile	Tren Santiago–ChillánSantiago–Chillán · 398 km · 4 h 25 min	90	160
51	🇱🇻 Latvia	LTG LinkVilnius–Riga · 360 km · 4 h 13 min	85	120
52	🇸🇮 Slovenia	InterCity SlovenijaLjubljana–Maribor · 156 km · 1 h 52 min	84	160
53	🇪🇬 Egypt	Talgo IntercityCairo–Alexandria · 208 km · 2 h 30 min	83	160
54	🇲🇽 Mexico	Tren MayaCancún–Palenque · 900 km · ≈ 11 h	82	160
55	🇳🇬 Nigeria	Warri–Itakpe TrainWarri–Itakpe · 326 km · ≈ 4 h	82	100
56	🇻🇪 Venezuela	Ferrocarril Ezequiel ZamoraCaracas–Cúa · 41 km · 31 min	79	120
57	🇵🇦 Panama	Panama Canal RailwayPanama City–Colón · 77 km · 1 h	77	88
58	🇩🇿 Algeria	Algiers–Oran ExpressAlgiers–Oran · 421 km · 5 h 30 min	77	160
59	🇬🇪 Georgia	Tbilisi–Batumi IntercityTbilisi–Batumi · 378 km · 4 h 59 min	76	120
60	🇿🇦 South Africa	GautrainJohannesburg–Pretoria · 56 km · 45 min	75	160
61	🇱🇺 Luxembourg	IntercityBrussels–Luxembourg · 219 km · 3 h 5 min	71	160
62	🇮🇷 Iran	Raja Tehran–IsfahanTehran–Isfahan · 450 km · 6 h 30 min	69	160
63	🇲🇪 Montenegro	Podgorica–Nikšić linePodgorica–Nikšić · 56 km · 50 min	67	100
64	🇦🇷 Argentina	Tren a Mar del PlataBuenos Aires–Mar del Plata · 400 km · 6 h	67	120
65	🇭🇷 Croatia	Zagreb–Rijeka lineZagreb–Rijeka · 229 km · 3 h 30 min	65	140
66	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	Sonar Bangla ExpressDhaka–Chattogram · 321 km · 4 h 55 min	65	100
67	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	Tulpar-TalgoAlmaty–Shymkent · 700 km · 11 h	64	160
68	🇵🇰 Pakistan	Subak RaftarLahore–Rawalpindi · 290 km · 4 h 35 min	63	105
69	🇩🇯 Djibouti	Addis–Djibouti RailwayAddis Ababa–Djibouti · 756 km · ≈ 12 h	63	120
70	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Addis–Djibouti RailwayAddis Ababa–Djibouti · 756 km · ≈ 12 h	63	120
71	🇲🇲 Myanmar	Yangon–Mandalay ExpressYangon–Mandalay · 620 km · 10 h	62	100
72	🇲🇰 North Macedonia	Skopje–Bitola lineSkopje–Bitola · 229 km · 3 h 45 min	61	100
73	🇳🇿 New Zealand	Capital ConnectionPalmerston North–Wellington · 136 km · 2 h 15 min	60	100
74	🇺🇾 Uruguay	AFE Tacuarembó–RiveraTacuarembó–Rivera · 130 km · 2 h 10 min	60	90
75	🇹🇳 Tunisia	SNCFT Grandes LignesTunis–Sfax · 270 km · ≈ 4 h 30 min	60	120
76	🇨🇺 Cuba	Tren FrancésHavana–Santiago de Cuba · 854 km · 15 h	57	100
77	🇧🇷 Brazil	Estrada de Ferro CarajásSão Luís–Parauapebas · 892 km · ≈ 16 h	56	80
78	🇹🇭 Thailand	Eastern LineBangkok–Aranyaprathet · 255 km · 5 h 15 min	49	100
79	🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	Trans-Caspian ExpressAshgabat–Turkmenbashi · 580 km · 12 h	48	100
80	🇸🇳 Senegal	Dakar TERDakar–Diamniadio · 36 km · 45 min	48	160
81	🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	Talgo Sarajevo–Banja LukaSarajevo–Banja Luka · 235 km · 5 h	47	120
82	🇰🇭 Cambodia	Royal Railway Southern LinePhnom Penh–Sihanoukville · 264 km · 5 h 40 min	47	60
83	🇬🇦 Gabon	TransgabonaisLibreville–Franceville · 648 km · 14 h	46	80
84	🇨🇩 DR Congo	Matadi–KinshasaMatadi–Kinshasa · 366 km · 8 h	46	60
85	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Yal DeviColombo–Jaffna · 304 km · 6 h 40 min	46	120
86	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	Sitarail VoyageursOuagadougou–Bobo-Dioulasso · 340 km · 8 h	43	70
87	🇻🇳 Vietnam	Hai Phong LineHanoi–Hai Phong · 102 km · 2 h 25 min	42	60
88	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Tren de la MuerteSanta Cruz–Puerto Quijarro · 650 km · 16 h	41	60
89	🇿🇲 Zambia	TAZARADar es Salaam–Kapiri Mposhi · 1,860 km · 46 h	40	100
90	🇽🇰 Kosovo	Pristina–Peja linePristina–Peja · 80 km · 2 h	40	80
91	🇸🇩 Sudan	Port Sudan–AtbaraPort Sudan–Atbara · 474 km · 12 h	40	60
92	🇲🇷 Mauritania	Mauritania Iron Ore TrainNouadhibou–Zouérat · 704 km · ≈ 18 h	39	60
93	🇹🇯 Tajikistan	Dushanbe–Kulob ExpressDushanbe–Kulob · 270 km · 7 h	39	80
94	🇦🇴 Angola	Luanda–Malanje ExpressLuanda–Malanje · 424 km · 11 h	39	90
95	🇲🇩 Moldova	Chișinău–Iași Cross-BorderChișinău–Iași · 130 km · 3 h 30 min	37	80
96	🇵🇭 Philippines	PNR CommuterCalamba–Lucena · 90 km · 2 h 33 min	35	60
97	🇬🇭 Ghana	Accra–Tema ShuttleAccra–Tema · 32 km · 1 h	32	80
98	🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo	La GazelleBrazzaville–Pointe-Noire · 510 km · ≈ 16 h	32	70
99	🇲🇿 Mozambique	Nampula–CuambaNampula–Cuamba · 348 km · 12 h	29	60
100	🇳🇵 Nepal	Janakpur RailwayJaynagar–Bijalpura · 52 km · ≈ 2 h	26	80
101	🇺🇬 Uganda	Kampala–Mukono commuterKampala–Mukono · 27 km · 1 h 10 min	23	60