Pure floating magic

The Maglev Train is a roller coaster disguised as public transit. A science experiment turned tourist attraction. A metallic wormhole shooting passengers from the city to the airport in mere minutes. I had to try it.

Pudong’s Longyang Road Station gleamed under the afternoon sun. The station hummed with energy. Tourists snapped photos. Business travellers checked watches. A child tugged at his mother’s sleeve, pointing at the sleek silver bullet resting on the tracks.

I purchased my ticket. A single ride cost 50 yuan. A small price for eight minutes of controlled insanity. The digital display flashed departure times. My train waited.

The doors slid open with a whisper. The interior resembled a spaceship. Bright LED lights. Spotless windows. Rows of padded seats facing forward. I chose one near the front. A nervous excitement bubbled in my stomach.

An announcement played in Mandarin, then English. “Please hold onto handrails during acceleration.” I gripped the armrest. The train gave a gentle shudder.

Liftoff: Zero to 300 km/h in Under Two Minutes

The Maglev does not start. It launches.

One second, stillness. The next, an invisible force shoved me into my seat. The city outside blurred. Buildings melted into streaks of colour. The speedometer on the wall ticked upward—100, 200, 250 km/h. My stomach lurched.

No wheels meant no rumbling. No screeching. Just smooth, eerie silence as the train floated on magnetic fields. A man across the aisle laughed. Another man clutched his bag, eyes wide. I grinned like a kid on a thrill ride.

The digital display hit 300 km/h. The world outside became a smear of green and grey. Farmland. Factories. Power lines. All gone in a blink.

As quickly as it began, the deceleration started. The train glided smoothly, no jerking, no screeching. The speedometer dropped 250, 200, 100. The world outside regained shape. Pudong Airport’s terminal appeared in the distance.

The train settled onto the platform with a soft hiss. The doors opened. Passengers blinked, as if waking from a dream. My legs felt shaky. My heart still raced.

The Shanghai Maglev is not about getting somewhere. It is about the experience. The sheer absurdity of traveling faster than a Formula 1 car on public transit. The quiet thrill of knowing magnets, not wheels, hold me aloft.

Most bullet trains feel fast. The Maglev feels impossible.

The ride lasted eight minutes. The adrenaline lasted hours. The memory? Probably a lifetime.

If you ever find yourself in Shanghai, skip the taxi. Skip the subway. Take the Maglev. Your inner speed demon will thank you. Mine is still grinning.

Speed. Silence. No friction. Just pure, floating magic.