Supertrain is an American television drama/adventure series that ran on NBC from February 7 to May 5, 1979. Nine episodes were made, including a 2-hour pilot episode. The series took place on the Supertrain, a nuclear-powered bullet train that was equipped with amenities more appropriate to a cruise ship. It had luxuries such as swimming pools and shopping centers. It was so big it had to run on very broad gauge single track (not a pair of tracks as depicted in some advertising). Though it had a rated top speed of 190 mph, the train took 36 hours to go from New York City to Los Angeles, which would put the train's average speed at around 78 miles per hour, slower than the moderately paced AMTRAK Acela and well below the speeds of bullet trains in Europe and Asia. Much like its contemporary The Love Boat, the plots concerned the passengers' social lives, usually with multiple intertwining storylines. Most of the cast of a given episode were guest stars. The production was elaborate, with huge sets and a high-tech model train for outside shots.
Created by Donald E. Westlake and Earl W. Wallace
Produced by Dan Curtis
