Train Travel at 370 MPH? Yes, it is Possible!

Traveling by train was the highlight of ones life oh so many years ago. I remember as a little boy taking the train to New York. It was an overnight ride, but so fun, and we could get up, move around, get food, sleep and be refreshed for our arrival in "the big city." Today, you could do the same thing on Amtrak, but it would cost more than a flight, and, it would be a lot slower. So, what about high-speed trains?

Amtrak does have some "high speed" train routes in the U.S., but high speed here is probably between 90 and 125 mph due to poor track conditions. In Europe and the Far East trains can travel between 180 and 200 mph. And now, trains will be going even faster.

A new train in China will be capable of traveling over 370 mph. It's called the maglev train and is being touted as the fastest ground vehicle in the world with a maximum speed of 600 kph or 372 mph.

USA Today reports the train uses electro-magnetic force, making it "float" so there is no contact between the rail and the body, Reuters reported.

The debut of the super fast train could cut down time for people traveling from Beijing to Shanghai to only 2.5 hours. That's a distance of 754 miles and currently a 4.5-hour train ride on one of China's bullet trains.

In America, a train track from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Orlando International Airport is being built for trains that can travel up to 125 mph.

"When people see what it’s all about," said Andy Kunz, president of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, "you’ll see people clamoring for this."

China's newest train is expected to be ready for commercial use within the next decade.