Technologies
Maglev is not one technology but a family of them. From the Transrapid in Shanghai to Japan's superconducting SCMaglev, China's urban lines and the hyperloop test tubes: every system, what it can do and where it stands in 2026.
Where maglev stands in 2026
One high-speed line in service, one under construction, and a fast-growing family of urban systems.
As of October 2026, only one high-speed maglev carries paying passengers anywhere in the world: the Transrapid line in Shanghai, open since 2002. Since 2021 it has run at a capped 300 km/h.
Japan is building the next one. The Chuo Shinkansen between Tokyo and Nagoya cleared its last political hurdle in July 2026, but it will not open before 2036. China has 600 km/h prototypes, yet no confirmed route for them.
Where maglev is really spreading is in cities and regions. Seven lines are in commercial service today, five of them low or medium speed systems in China and Japan. The hyperloop, by contrast, went through a wave of company failures between 2023 and 2026 and remains a research field.
Built for long distances.
Quiet, driverless, already running.
Beyond the classic maglev.
Five ways to make a train float
Attract, repel, lock, or take the air away: every system uses one of these ideas.
Electromagnetic suspension (EMS). Electromagnets on the vehicle reach under the guideway and are pulled up toward it. Sensors keep the gap at around 10 millimeters. The vehicle floats even at standstill. Used by the Transrapid, the Transport System Bögl, CRRC and all urban maglev lines in service.
Electrodynamic suspension (EDS). Superconducting magnets on the vehicle induce currents in coils along the guideway, and the vehicle is pushed up and centered. The gap is large, about 10 centimeters, but levitation only works at speed, so the train rolls on rubber wheels until roughly 150 km/h. Used by Japan's SCMaglev and China's superconducting prototypes.
High-temperature superconductor (HTS) levitation. Superconductors cooled with liquid nitrogen lock themselves above a permanent-magnet track. Levitation is passive and stable without control electronics. Demonstrated by Southwest Jiaotong University in China.
Permanent-magnet levitation. Arrangements of permanent magnets create lift without power for the magnets themselves. Examples are the Inductrack concept from the United States and several Chinese and European test vehicles.
Low-pressure tubes. Any of these principles can run inside a tube with very little air, to cut aerodynamic drag. That is the idea behind the hyperloop and China's T-Flight program.
Propulsion is a second question. A long-stator linear motor sits in the guideway and pulls the vehicle along (Transrapid, SCMaglev). A short-stator motor sits on the vehicle (urban maglev, TSB), which keeps the guideway simpler and cheaper but limits speed.
All systems compared
| System | Country | Principle | Record or design speed | Service speed | Status Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transrapid | Germany, licensed to China | EMS, long-stator motor | 501 km/h (Shanghai test) | 300 km/h | In service, 1 line |
| SCMaglev (L0) | Japan | EDS, superconducting | 603 km/h (2015) | 500 km/h planned | Under construction |
| CRRC 600 km/h | China | EMS, long-stator motor | 600 km/h (design) | none yet | Prototype |
| Superconducting maglev | China | EDS and HTS | 600 to 620 km/h (design) | none yet | Prototypes |
| Chinese urban maglev | China | EMS, short-stator motor | 160 km/h (tested) | 100 to 120 km/h | In service, 4 lines |
| HSST / Linimo | Japan | EMS, short-stator motor | 100 km/h | 100 km/h | In service, 1 line |
| ECOBEE | South Korea | EMS, short-stator motor | 110 km/h (design) | limited service | Restarted 2025 |
| Transport System Bögl | Germany | EMS, short-stator motor | 181 km/h (2024) | 150 km/h (design) | Licensed, no public line yet |
| Hyperloop | USA, Europe | Levitation in a low-pressure tube | 172 km/h crewed (2020) | none | Test tracks only |
| CASIC T-Flight | China | Superconducting maglev in a low-vacuum tube | 623 km/h (claimed, 2024) | none | 2 km test line |
| Donghu test platform | China | Permanent-magnet levitation | 800 km/h (1.1 t test vehicle) | none | 1 km test line |
| Nevomo MagRail | Poland | Linear motor on existing track | 135 km/h (test) | none | Freight booster |
| IronLev | Italy | Passive levitation on standard rails | 70 km/h (test) | none | Prototype |
Record speeds and service speeds are different things. A record set by a light test vehicle on a short track says little about a full passenger train in daily service.
Maglev lines in operation
Seven commercial maglev lines run today. Only one of them is high-speed.
| Line | Country | Technology | Length | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Maglev (Pudong Airport to Longyang Road) | China | Transrapid, high-speed EMS | about 30 km | 2002 (public), 2004 (full service) |
| Linimo (Tobu Kyuryo Line), Aichi | Japan | HSST, EMS | 8.9 km | 2005 |
| Changsha Maglev Express | China | CRRC Zhuzhou, medium-low speed EMS | 18.55 km | 2016 |
| Incheon Airport Maglev (ECOBEE) | South Korea | KIMM / Hyundai Rotem UTM-02, EMS | 6.1 km | 2016, restarted 2025 |
| Beijing Subway Line S1 | China | Medium-low speed EMS | 10.2 km | 2017, extended 2021 |
| Fenghuang Maglev Sightseeing Express | China | Medium-low speed EMS | 9.1 km | 2022 |
| Qingyuan Maglev Tourist Line | China | Medium-low speed EMS | 8.0 km | 2025 |
Under construction: the Chuo Shinkansen in Japan (SCMaglev, opening 2036 at the earliest) and the Changsha to Liuyang intercity maglev in China (160 km/h, due in 2029).
Maglev around the world, 1969 to today
- 1969
Germany starts planning a high-speed maglev
The program leads to the Transrapid test vehicles. In Japan, the national railway is already researching superconducting maglev.
- 1984
First commercial maglev in Birmingham
A 600 m low-speed shuttle links Birmingham Airport with the railway station. It closes in 1995 because of reliability problems.
- 1987
Emsland test facility completed
In 1993, the TR07 reaches 450 km/h on the 31.5 km test circuit in northwestern Germany.
- 1997
Yamanashi test line opens in Japan
It becomes the proving ground for the SCMaglev.
- 2002
Shanghai Transrapid opens
The first commercial high-speed maglev in the world. Full service follows in 2004.
- 2005
Linimo opens in Aichi, Japan
Built for Expo 2005, it is the first automated urban maglev in regular service.
- 2006
Accident at Lathen
A Transrapid hits a maintenance vehicle on the Emsland test track. 23 people die.
- 2008
Munich Transrapid cancelled
Estimated costs rise from 1.85 to 3.4 billion euros and the airport link is stopped.
- 2014
Chuo Shinkansen construction begins
In 2015, an L0 series train sets the world rail speed record of 603 km/h.
- 2016
Changsha and Incheon open
China's first domestically developed maglev line and South Korea's airport maglev start service. Beijing's Line S1 follows in 2017.
- 2021
China unveils 600 km/h trains
CRRC presents its high-speed maglev, and Southwest Jiaotong University shows a superconducting prototype.
- 2023
Hyperloop One shuts down
In the same year, the European Hyperloop Center and TUM's test tube open, and China completes its T-Flight test tube.
- 2025
New lines, new licences, one end
Qingyuan's maglev opens, Incheon restarts, Germany licenses the Transport System Bögl, and the US ends the Baltimore to Washington SCMaglev review.
- 2026
Japan clears the way, hyperloop firms fail
Shizuoka approves the Chuo Shinkansen tunnel. Hardt Hyperloop and Zeleros go bankrupt, while Swisspod reaches 146 km/h.
Missing a system or a fact?
MaglevHub covers maglev worldwide and every claim comes with a source. If you know of a project we have missed, or spot something that is out of date, let us know.
Sources
- Shanghai maglev train
- Shizuoka approves maglev construction
- Shizuoka governor approves Chuo Shinkansen alpine tunnel
- China begins construction of inter-city maglev
- Eisenbahn-Bundesamt grants Max Bögl operating licence
- Baltimore to Washington SCMaglev project
- Maglev
- Hyperloop projects 10 years after the idea