Almost Faster Than Superman: France Rail Train Sets New World Record

It started in Preny, France, just outside of Paris, and ended up in Champagne, France. How apropos is that! Champagne for everybody disembarking from its maiden trip. The top speed in getting there-357mph. Can you say Ouch! my ears are aching from the pressure. Fortunately, that isn't what speed this train, the V150, will normally cruise at. A mere 190 mph. will be its cruising speed when it regularly operates on the soon-to-be opened line from Paris to Strasbourg. But at 357 mph, the train covered approximately 1 1/2 football fields per second. That's fast!

Passengers aboard the newest of these "bullet trains" were treated to t.v. screens which flashed up the ever-increasing speed in the portion of the trip which was especially set up for the attempt to break all speed train records. Above the train flew a jet keeping pace and monitoring the train as it "flew" down the tracks. While it didn't break Superman's record, France's V150 fell just 4mph short of Japan's magnetically-levitated "bullet train."

Japan's top bullet train doesn't ride on rails at all as France's does. Rather it makes use of magnetism and levitates above the track. However considering France's bullet train makes use of the old power-equals-speed way to propel it at warp speed down the tracks, it's not too shabby of an accomplishment at all.

France's President Jacques praised the record-setting train saying it was, "a magnificent demonstration of France's formidable capacities in research and innovation." He went on to say that this is "new proof of the excellence of the French rail industry."

On hand to be a part of history were world dignitaries from China and India. Of course, business leaders from all around the globe were there, too. Last week the French Transportation Minister received state of California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, who was there because California is studying the possibility of a high-speed line from Sacramento to San Diego, via San Francisco and Los Angeles. was on hand to study the V150.