TGV set a new world speed record for a train on rails, hitting 357 miles per hour on a 45.3 mile stretch of track between Paris and Strasbourg. (Christophe Recoura/SNCF via Getty Images)
The special French high-speed train TGV V150 has a 25,000-horsepower engine and special wheels. (Christophe Karaba / EPA)
The record was made by an experimental version equipped with two supercharged locomotives and extra-large wheels. (Francois Nascimbeni AFP/Getty Images)
Trainspotters gather to cheer on the TGV. (Christophe Recoura/SNCF via Getty Images)
The black and chrome train with three double-decker cars, named the V150, fell short of the ultimate record set by Japan’s non-conventional magnetically levitated train, which sped to 361 mph in 2003. (Francois Mori / AP)
For its record-run the train travelled 125 miles east of France’s capital on a new track linking Paris with Strasbourg. (Christophe Recoura/SNCF via Getty Images)
Train driver Eric Pieczac, right, celebrates the new world speed record on rails. (Michel Euler / AP)
