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World's fastest trains: The TGV of France is the world's fastest train, having been clocked at 515.5 kph (320 mph) in a test ride. When actually carrying passengers, though, its maximum speed is 300 kph (186 mph), the same as the Nozomi train on the San'yo Shinkansen line. The highest commercial speeds of other train lines are 280 kph (174 mph) for Germany's ICE, and 300 kph for both Italy's ETR500 and the Eurostar linking Britain, France, and Belgium. Work is now under way in Japan on the next generation of high-speed trains. Testing began in April 1997 on a magnetically levitated train that will eventually be able to carry passengers at a speed of 500 kph (311 mph).