As if 175MPH trains aren't enough for Japan, their newest endeavour would produce a 200MPH Shinkansen successor called the E5 (pictured) in 2011. What? Still not fast enough for you? How about a 310MPH maglev train planned for 2025?
Need perspective? The fastest Amtrak is the Acela Express which, at maximum, reaches 150MPH on a 35 mile stretch between Boston and New Haven. Otherwise, it tops out at 135MPH between Boston and Washington, D. C.
When I was in Japan in 2004, I was already in awe of a rail system that moved as fast as it's other ability which seems to escape systems in the US: on-time trains.
Seriously, some day I'm going to move to Japan. Some day…
