Shanghai’s maglev train has a top commercial operating speed of 431 km/h.
The Shanghai maglev connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport with Longyang Road station. It uses electromagnetic levitation rather than conventional steel wheels and rails, allowing the train to reach its advertised peak speed on the approximately 30-kilometre route.
The service began public operation in 2004 and is based on German Transrapid technology. The fastest journeys take only a few minutes, although some departures operate at a lower maximum speed depending on the timetable. The 431 km/h figure refers to the peak speed offered in commercial passenger service, not merely a laboratory or test result.
It is important not to confuse operating speed with a world speed record. Japan’s L0 Series maglev reached 603 km/h during a 2015 test, while Shanghai’s figure describes a scheduled public service. Shanghai’s line is also a maglev route, so it is technically different from conventional high-speed trains such as China’s Fuxing services.