Data & Analysis

World rail speed records

Table of one-off speed records where trains recorded speeds of 160 km/h or more

With 350 km/h operations restored on the Beijing – Shanghai highspeed line, China has outstripped all its competitors with the fastest trains attaining start-to-stop averages well over 300 km/h. Jeremy Hartill* has compiled our biennial world speed survey.

China: Metro openings hit record high

Almost 700 km of new metro and tram lines and extensions were opened in 15 Chinese cities during the closing weeks of 2020 as 29 separate projects came to fruition. Toma Bačić investigates.

Urban rail - list of openings (2021)

New lines and extensions to metro, light rail and commuter rail networks. Map, operator and news links.