The Super Locomotive

It's a locomotive that's one looooong train. Or, is it a train that's one looooong locomotive?

New ‘Very High Speed’ Train Goes 220 mph and Has No Centralized Engine

This month, the French company Alstom Transport is testing its brand new “very high speed” train, the AGV (or Automotrice à Grande Vitesse), on live tracks in Eastern France. Unlike most trains, which have a single engine car in the front or back, the AGV has a series of distributed motors underneath the passenger carriages, which saves space and allows the train to carry 20% more passengers.



The AGV is being tested over 12 nights this month on the Eastern high-speed line, between the Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine stations, at its ideal speed of 224 mph. In comparison, the American high speed Acela train travels at a top speed of 150 mph.

The new French AGV is rumored to be the top choice for the new California high-speed rail system that was recently approved by voters.