If all goes well, the French TGV will break the world rail speed record next Tuesday.
Update. During a warm-up test, the train already scored an unofficial top speed of 549 km/h 568 km/h (353 mph), beating the 1990 record of 515 km/h (320 mph).
For the official record attempt the manufacturer of the train, Alstom, aims at a top speed of 540 km/h (335 mph). But there are rumours that the company may even try to beat the Japanese Mag Lev train, which runs on a magnetic field rather than wheels, and has topped a speed of 581 km/h (361 mph).
The train used in the record attempt has a length of 106 meters and weighs 268 tons. It is equipped with two engines, developing 19.6-megawatt (more than 25,000 horsepower), twice as much as a conventional TGV.
The cost of this game: 30 million euros.
