Japanese railway company starts testing 249mph bullet train speeds

This week, Japanese railway company JR East showed off its new Alfa-X, a high-speed bullet train that is designed to achieve a top speed of 400kph, or 249mph, which would make it the fastest commercial train in the world. That long lead time suggests that there might be an opening for another high-speed bullet train option to overtake the Alfa-X Shinkansen train in speed for commercial railway service. Virgin Hyperloop One, arguably the best-funded Hyperloop startup, may be the closest: it has a test track outside of Las Vegas where it has been able to log a speed of 240mph (386kph) in less than a quarter-mile (300 meters).

Source: arstechnica.com