<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Parts of this article (those related to overall stats) need to be updated . Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information . (January 2016) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Shinkansen (新幹線, new trunk line), colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high - speed railway lines in Japan operated by five Japan Railways Group companies . Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen (515.4 km, 320.3 mi) in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of 2,764.6 km (1,717.8 mi) of lines with maximum speeds of 240--320 km / h (150--200 mph), 283.5 km (176.2 mi) of Mini-shinkansen lines with a maximum speed of 130 km / h (80 mph), and 10.3 km (6.4 mi) of spur lines with Shinkansen services . The network presently links most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, and Hakodate on northern island of Hokkaido, with an extension to Sapporo under construction and scheduled to commence in March 2031 . </P> <P> The maximum operating speed is 320 km / h (200 mph) (on a 387.5 km section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen). Test runs have reached 443 km / h (275 mph) for conventional rail in 1996, and up to a world record 603 km / h (375 mph) for maglev trains in April 2015 . </P> <P> Shinkansen literally means new trunk line, referring to the high - speed rail line network . The name Superexpress (超 特急, chō - tokkyū), initially used for Hikari trains, was retired in 1972 but is still used in English - language announcements and signage . </P>

Is the shinkansen the fastest train in the world