France is well known for arts, culture and fashion, but few people know it is one of the world leaders in rail transport technology. Alstom's V150 Translet is the fastest rail train in the world. On April 3rd, it bit its own record by 59.5 km/hr set in 1990. The train's code name is V150 which stands for 150 meters per second (or more).
Alstom supplies rail equipments worldwide. Some of its competitors are Bombardier, Siemens and Ansaldo-Breda.
" Alstom is hoping to sell its high-speed trains in several countries, including China, Argentina and Brazil. The state of California is among the interested buyers. California's project would link Sacramento and San Diego by going through San Francisco and Los Angeles. The project, if approved, would cost an estimated $40 billion. It would take less than 2½ hours to reach Los Angeles from the Bay Area." From ABC News world.
A couple points you need to know:
Record Speed : 574,8 km/h (357.2 mph)
Power : 2 engines totaling 25, 000 horsepower
Check out the video on YouTube.
Note the Maglev train set a record in 2003. This uses magnetic levitation and will be discussed latter on.
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