Measure Your Train's Speed From Your Seat
On a fast line the countryside blurs and the announcements rarely say how fast you are going. The train speed test on this page tells you, from a window seat, using the satellite receiver in your phone rather than anything on the train. The dial starts at 0–300 km/h (0–200 mph), so even a high-speed train stays on the scale from the moment it pulls out.
It works the same on a Shinkansen, a TGV, an ICE, Eurostar or Acela as on an intercity, regional or sleeper train, and on commuter lines that run above ground. Switch to mph or km/h to match the country you are travelling in.
Where a High-Speed Train Reaches Its Top Speed
A high-speed train only runs at its limit on the fastest stretches of line, usually long sections away from towns. Watch the dial once the train has left the last station behind and settled into its cruise; through stations, junctions and tight curves it is much slower. The table of top speeds of well-known trains on this page shows what to look for, with a source for each figure.
To catch the moment it passes a figure — 300 km/h, say — switch on the speed alert and type it in. The dial turns red as the train goes over it; in a quiet coach, untick the beep and watch for the colour instead.
Timing a Train Between Distance Markers
Many railways mark distance beside the track with small posts or boards, every kilometre, every mile or at fractions of a mile depending on the country. If you can see them from your window, you can work out the speed with nothing more than a stopwatch: count the seconds from one marker to the next and divide into 3,600. Ten seconds per kilometre is 360 km/h; 36 seconds per kilometre is 100 km/h. The same sum works for miles and mph.
| Train speed | Per kilometre | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 80 km/h (50 mph) | 45 s | 72.4 s |
| 120 km/h (75 mph) | 30 s | 48.3 s |
| 160 km/h (99 mph) | 22.5 s | 36.2 s |
| 200 km/h (124 mph) | 18 s | 29 s |
| 250 km/h (155 mph) | 14.4 s | 23.2 s |
| 300 km/h (186 mph) | 12 s | 19.3 s |
| 350 km/h (217 mph) | 10.3 s | 16.6 s |
At high speed the gaps get short — 10.3 seconds per kilometre at 350 km/h — so a second either way makes a big difference to the answer. Time several markers in a row and average them. It is a good way to check the GPS reading, or to keep going through a deep cutting where the satellite signal drops.
Reading the Trip Numbers on a Train Journey
The trip computer treats a train journey sensibly. Time standing at stations does not count against the average speed, so it shows how fast the train travels between stops, while journey time keeps counting from the moment you pressed Start. On a trip with a change of train, press Pause while you wait on the platform and Resume on the next train; Reset trip starts a fresh record for the return. The FAQ explains how average speed and distance are worked out.
HUD Mode at Your Seat
HUD mode turns the phone into a single large speed readout, handy propped against the window or lying on the table when you want to read it from your seat or show the people you are travelling with. Leave Mirror off: it flips the digits for reading in a car windscreen, not on a train.
Where GPS Gives Out on the Railway
- Tunnels and covered stations — no signal at all. The dial holds its last figure, dimmed, and picks up again in the open.
- Deep cuttings and mountain valleys — part of the sky is hidden, so fixes are fewer and less accurate. Distance markers are the better reference here.
- Aisle seats and coated windows — the carriage body blocks the satellites, and some heat-reflecting glass weakens them. See getting a GPS signal on a train for what helps.
- Underground and metro lines — no reading below ground, only on the stretches that run outside.