The Chinese mainland is considering building a high-speed railway across the Siberia and Bering Strait to Alaska, across Canada to the US. In not so distant future, people can take the train from the mainland to the US, according to Beijing Times citing Wang Mengshu, a railway expert and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

High-speed rail has improved the travel experience in a growing number of countries and regions. Now, let's take a look at the 10 fastest trains in the world.

No 10: THSR 700T, Taiwan

Operating Speed: 186 mph

Record Speed: 196 mph

Launch Date: 2007

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world

A Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) train leaves Tsoying Station in Kaohsiung, Taiwan Jan 5, 2007. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 9: Eurostar Class 373, Britain, France and Belgium

Operating Speed: 186 mph

Record Speed: 208 mph

Launch Date: 1993

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world

After a first test run through the Channel Tunnel, a new ICE 3 train (L) stands next to the high-speed train 'Eurostar' at St Pancras railway station in London, Oct 19, 2010. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 8: ETR 500 Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) and ETR 575 AGV, Italy

Operating Speed: 186 mph

Record Speed: 211 mph (Red Arrow), 224 mph (AGV)

Launch Date: 2008 (Red Arrow), 2012 (AGV)

Italy offers two competing high-speed rail services - the public Red Arrow and the private Automotrice à Grande Vitesse (AGV) - on the same tracks.

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world
 

NTV Italo high speed train leaves Rome's Tiburtina railway station, on the occasion of its inaugural trip to Naples, Friday, April 20, 2012. The service, which will run on Italy's existing rail network, will use 25 11-car AGV trains by French engineering company Alstom SA. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 7: KTX Sancheon, South Korea

Operating Speed: 190 mph

Record Speed: 217 mph

Launch Date: 2010

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world
 

With a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph), the KTX-Sancheon is the first commercial high-speed train developed in South Korea. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 6: AVE Series 103, Spain

Operating Speed: 193 mph

Record Speed: 250 mph

Launch Date: 2006

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world
 

AVE high speed trains in Sevilla Andalusia Spain. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 5: TGV Train POS, France

Operating Speed: 199 mph

Record Speed: 357 mph

Launch Date: 2008

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world
 

A French TGV train leaves the main train station in Frankfurt, Germany, April 28, 2014. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 4: Shinkansen Train E5, Japan

Operating Speed: 199 mph

Record Speed: 223 mph

Launch Date: 2011

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world
 

A Shinkansen E5 Train in Japan, Feb 9, 2012. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 3: ICE 3, Germany

Operating Speed: 199 mph

Record Speed: 229 mph

Launch Date: 2000

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world
 

A new ICE 3 of the production series 407 arrives at the central train station in Frankfurt Main, Germany, Feb 18, 2014. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 2: Harmony CRH380A, Chinese mainland

Maximum Operating Speed: 236 mph

Record Speed: 302 mph

Running on a more traditional track, the CRH380A has topped out at 302 mph, maxes out commercially at 236 mph and routinely runs at 217 mph. There are currently four models of the train serving different railroad lines in China.

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world
 

A CRH380A bullet train passes by high-rise residential apartment buildings in Shanghai, China, July 14, 2012. [Photo/dfic.cn]

No 1: Shanghai Maglev Train, Chinese mainland

Maximum Operating Speed: 268 mph

Record Speed: 311 mph

The Shanghai Maglev train connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport with the Shanghai metro system. It has been recorded at a top speed of 311 mph and its top operating speed is 268 mph, making it the world's fastest commercial train.

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world
 

The Shanghai Maglev Train or Shanghai Transrapid, a magnetic levitation train (maglev) line that operates in Shanghai, China. [Photo/dfic.cn]

(From Xinhua, 2013-03-03)