A modified TGV (Train de Grande Vitesse / Train of Great Speed) with two engines called the V150 attained a record speed of 581 km/hr (361 mph) on the run between Paris and Strasbourg. The record for all trains belongs to the mag-lev trains of Japan. Of course, none of this helps me get to Spain any faster as there are no direct connections between the countries owing to a difference in rail gauges.
A “BBC article”:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6521295.stm with the same AFP photo.