Bundestag: First Pro-Transrapid Speech in Decades
On September 16, 2025, something happened in the German Bundestag that had not occurred for decades: a speech explicitly endorsed the Transrapid. Member of parliament Maximilian Kneller (AfD) used his speaking time, in his maiden speech, to highlight the maglev as an example of a high technology developed in Germany that, for political reasons, was never put to use here.
Kneller pointed to the advantages of the maglev: speeds of up to 500 km/h, nearly noiseless and low-emission operation, and demonstrably high punctuality. As an example, he cited the Transrapid line in Shanghai, which has been in commercial operation for over 20 years. There, he said, the system achieves a reliability rate of over 99 percent. He also criticized the stance of the Greens, in particular that of then-member of parliament Albert Schmidt, who preferred the airplane over the emission-free Transrapid.
At the same time, Kneller criticized the state of German transport infrastructure. Bridges, roads and rail networks are dilapidated, he said, and long-distance trains are often late. While in Germany the Emsland test facility is to be dismantled by 2034, other countries are betting on forward-looking technologies. In his view, it is a mistake not to deploy German innovations like the Transrapid at home while projects such as the Hyperloop are being funded.
Kneller was particularly blunt in his criticism of the Hyperloop. In his view, the project is a pipe dream that ties up political attention in Germany without ever being realized. He asked whether a possible reference line here would not one day be torn down again, just like the Transrapid test facility in Emsland, only much later and without any practical benefit. Instead, he said, politicians should focus on proven technologies that are ready for series production and deployment, rather than putting taxpayer money into concepts that cannot currently be realized.
Kneller argued for preserving the Emsland facility as a technical monument instead of investing large sums in its dismantling. He also asked about the federal government’s clear position on technology openness in connection with electric mobility and combustion engines.
In April 2024, Kneller was also present at the handover of the Transrapid petition by David Harder (magnetbahn.de), which, with over 62,000 signatures, is among the largest transport-policy petitions of recent years. The politically neutral petition called for the maglev’s prospects in Germany to be examined again. Despite a politically neutral request to all parliamentary groups and to the members of the Transport Committee and Petitions Committee, only the AfD parliamentary group officially accepted the petition. All other members of parliament declined or did not respond.
The current speech in the Bundestag is thus a continuation of this debate. For the first time in decades, the maglev was again raised in parliament with emphasis as a serious alternative for long-distance travel in Germany. Whether this will lead to a broader political discussion remains to be seen. But one thing is visible: the topic is back on the federal political stage.
The speech can be watched at this link (in German).
