About
I'm David Harder. In 2026 I founded maglevhub.com, the international home for maglev trains. It grew out of magnetbahn.de, the German-language maglev platform I have been running since 2020.
From magnetbahn.de to maglevhub.com
maglevhub.com started in 2026 as the international offshoot of magnetbahn.de. Since then it has been developing independently.
In 2020 I started magnetbahn.de, a German-language website about the Transrapid and maglev trains. Over the years it grew into the most comprehensive maglev platform in the German-speaking world, with more than a hundred articles, a vehicle archive, fact checks and videos.
But maglev is not a German story. Shanghai has been running the Transrapid in commercial service since 2004. Japan is building the Chuo Shinkansen for its SCMaglev, which set the world speed record of 603 km/h. China is testing 600 km/h maglev trains and runs urban maglev lines in cities such as Changsha and Beijing. More and more questions reached me from readers outside Germany, and there was no independent, fact-based source in English that brought all of this together.
That is why I founded maglevhub.com in 2026. It started with the archive of magnetbahn.de, translated into English, and it now develops on its own: with its own topics, its own perspective for an international audience, and soon its own team. magnetbahn.de remains the German-language platform.
We are looking for a team. If you want to help build maglevhub.com as a writer, translator, researcher, video maker or developer, wherever you are in the world, write to info@maglevhub.com.
David Harder
I grew up in Meppen in the Emsland region of northwestern Germany, close to the Transrapid test facility. The train that floats without wheels captured my imagination as a child and has never let go.
In 2020 I founded magnetbahn.de because there was no reliable source on the subject, mostly half-knowledge and misinformation. Since then I have researched, written and filmed everything myself. In 2026 I took the next step with maglevhub.com, to share the facts with readers around the world.
Locally, I made sure that the Transrapid Visitor Center in Lathen reopened its doors. I developed and built the exhibition there myself over several years.
Through the websites, YouTube and Instagram I reach millions of people every year. I give talks, for example in 2023 at the DB Museum in Nuremberg, and support TV, press and content creators with facts, images and interviews.
Milestones in maglev
- since 2026
- Founder of maglevhub.com, the international maglev platform
- since 2020
- Founder and operator of magnetbahn.de
- 2021
- Technical article "Worldwide maglev developments and their prospects" (in German), Der Eisenbahningenieur
- 2021 to 2025
- Transrapid Visitor Center Lathen: reopened on my initiative. As curator, I developed and built the exhibition over several years.
- 2022 and 2023
- Books "Introduction to the Transrapid" and "30 Facts About the Transrapid" (in German)
- 2024 to 2025
- Working student in product management at Transport System Bögl, Max Bögl Group
- 2026
- Bachelor's thesis: potential analysis of a high-speed maglev line between Hamburg and Hanover
- since 2026
- Deputy chair of Zukunft Fernverkehr e.V., a German non-profit for innovative long-distance transport
Facts, not myths.
What I work for.
Where it all started: magnetbahn.de in two minutes
Frequently asked questions
How is maglevhub.com related to magnetbahn.de?
maglevhub.com was created in 2026 from magnetbahn.de, using its archive of articles as a starting point. Since then it has been developing independently, with its own topics and its own team, for an international audience. magnetbahn.de remains the German-language platform.
How is maglevhub.com funded?
maglevhub.com is financed through the online shop of its German sister platform magnetbahn.de. Sales of Transrapid merchandise, books and e-books cover web hosting and running costs. There is no advertising on the site. Visit the shop
Who writes the content?
So far, I do. Since 2020 I have researched, written and produced all content of magnetbahn.de myself, and its archive is the foundation of maglevhub.com. Now I am building an international team. Want to join? Write to info@maglevhub.com.
Work with us?
For media inquiries, interviews, talks, joint projects, or if you want to join the team, email info@maglevhub.com.