Shanghai maglev train facts for kids

The Shanghai Maglev train is a super-fast train in Shanghai, China. It's special because it uses powerful magnets to float above its tracks! This is why it's called a "maglev" train, which means "magnetic levitation."

This train was the first of its kind in the world to be used for public travel at high speeds. It can travel at a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). Before May 2021, it was even faster, reaching 431 km/h (268 mph)! This made it the fastest train service in the world for a while.

The Maglev line connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Longyang Road station. From Longyang Road, people can switch to the regular Shanghai Metro to go to the city center. The Maglev is not part of the Metro system itself.

The whole trip is about 30 km (18.6 mi) long and takes only 8 minutes and 10 seconds! The train can reach 300 km/h (186 mph) in just over 2 minutes.

How It Was Built

Building the Line

Work on the Shanghai Maglev train line started on March 1, 2001. It opened for public use on January 1, 2004. The project cost a lot of money and took about two and a half years to finish. The main track is 30.5 km (18.95 mi) long, plus another track that leads to a place where trains are fixed.

The Maglev train was built by two German companies, Siemens and ThyssenKrupp. They used their special Transrapid maglev system. The tracks for the Shanghai Maglev were built by Chinese companies. Because the ground in the Pudong area was soft, they had to put support columns closer together than planned to make sure the tracks were stable. Thousands of strong concrete poles were pushed deep into the ground to hold up the track foundations.

Before the Shanghai Maglev, there were two other commercial maglev systems, but they were slower and closed down. The Shanghai Maglev was the first high-speed one.

The train was officially opened in December 2002 by important leaders from Germany and China. At first, it was only for tours. People could ride from Longyang Road Station to Pudong Airport and back without getting off. The normal train service began on October 10, 2003.

Since 2010, a fourth train, made in China, has joined the others. It looks a little different from the original German trains.

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  A Shanghai Maglev train at Longyang Road station

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  A screen inside showing the speed

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  The Maglev train moving fast

How Many People Ride It?

When the Maglev first opened, not many people rode it. This was because it only ran for limited hours, the line was short, tickets were expensive, and it didn't go all the way into the city center.

Here are some numbers about how many people have ridden the Maglev:

• In February 2003, 18,000 guests rode the train during the Lunar New Year holiday.
• By August 2004, over 1.45 million people had ridden the train.
• By March 2006, more than 6.23 million passengers had traveled on the Maglev.
• On October 1, 2007, more than 20,000 people rode the train in a single day for the first time!
• In 2010, many more tourists rode the Maglev because of the World Expo event in Shanghai.
• After the Shanghai Metro Line 2 was extended to Pudong Airport, fewer people rode the Maglev.
• By September 5, 2017, the Shanghai Maglev trains had carried a total of 50 million passengers!

How It Works Daily

The Shanghai Maglev train line is run by a company called Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co., Ltd. Trains run from 6:45 AM to 9:42 PM, with a train leaving every 20 minutes.

The operating hours have changed over time:

• Until 2005, trains ran from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. These hours were not very helpful for people with early or late flights.
• Between 2005 and 2007, the hours were made longer, from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
• Since October 2007, the hours were extended to match the Metro Line 2, from 6:45 AM to 9:30 PM.

Since October 2016, two extra trains have been added late at night. These trains leave Pudong Airport at 10:15 PM and 10:40 PM and go to Longyang Road.

• Interiors of a train
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  The driver's cabin of the Shanghai Maglev

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  Inside the VIP section of the Shanghai Maglev

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  Inside the standard passenger area

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  Entrance to the Shanghai Maglev Museum

See also