TGV breaks its own world speed record (again)...

[jamesontheroad]

This broke earlier this week in France, but hasn't yet percolated very far outside the country. During high speed trials east of Paris this week, a specially configured TGV unit of two locomotives and three cars broke the existing speed record for a traditional train (held by an earlier generation TGV), and travelled at a sustained 343mph. Rumours circulating here in the local (Strasbourg) media predict that another attempt will be made before the TGV Est Européen (Paris - Strasbourg) opens in June, perhaps getting closer to the mythical 600km/h barrier, although this is pushing the limit of what the catenaries are known to be physically capable of supporting.

Other sources reported it in English here: http://www.google.co.uk/news?hl=en&ned...;ncl=1113618526

331MPH TRAIN SETS A RECORDSource: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_headl...-name_page.html

A FRENCH train has broken its own world record by travelling at 331mph - a speed which would see it get from London to Edinburgh in just an hour.

The previous record, set in 1990, was 320mph.

The superfast TGV - Train a Grande Vitesse - established the new mark in a top-secret test on Tuesday. It took place on a stretch of line connecting Paris to the eastern city of Strasbourg.

Now the train will try for an even higher speed in an official world record bid in April.

Average speeds for passenger-carrying TGVs are 186mph but on the new Paris-Strasbourg line, which opens in June, they will run at 190mph.