Shanghai Maglev Train: Should You Ride It? (2026 Guide)
The world's only commercial maglev — PVG Airport to Longyang Road in 7.5 minutes at up to 431 km/h. This guide covers prices, schedule, the honest decision factors, and how to continue into central Shanghai.
Last updated 2026-04-25
What the Shanghai Maglev actually is
The Shanghai Transrapid (上海磁浮 / shàng-hǎi cí-fú) is the only commercially operating magnetic-levitation train in the world. It covers 30.5 km between Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Longyang Road metro station in 7 min 20 sec during peak windows (top speed 431 km/h), and in 8 min off-peak (top speed 301 km/h).
The system opened in 2004 using German Transrapid technology, at a reported cost of around $1.3 billion. Proposed extensions never happened, so the line remains a 30-km shuttle between the airport and the edge of Pudong. Most riders are airport passengers; a smaller share are tourists doing a round-trip just for the experience.
Should you ride it? A four-factor decision
The honest question isn't "is it cool" — yes, it is — but "is it the right choice for my trip". Four factors decide:
- What time do you arrive / depart? The maglev runs 6:45 AM–9:52 PM. Flights outside that window mean taxi only.
- How much luggage are you carrying? Two big suitcases on the maglev → Line 2 transfer is awkward. The transfer at Longyang Road involves stairs and a walk.
- Where's your hotel? Longyang Road connects directly to Metro Line 2, which runs East-West through Pudong, Lujiazui, People's Square, Jing'an, and out to Hongqiao. If your hotel is on Line 2 or a short walk from it, the maglev+metro combo is competitive. Otherwise a taxi is faster door-to-door.
- Is the goal transit or experience? If experience, do it as a round-trip from Longyang Road — ¥80, takes 45 minutes total, minimal hassle. If transit, evaluate against the full door-to-door journey.
Decision table
| Your situation | Best option | Rough cost & time |
|---|---|---|
| Light luggage, hotel near Line 2 (Jing'an, People's Square, Nanjing Road) | Maglev + Line 2 | ¥54–58 · 35–55 min |
| Heavy luggage, hotel anywhere | Taxi / Didi | ¥180–240 · 50–75 min |
| Purely for the experience | Maglev round-trip from Longyang Road | ¥80 · 45 min total |
| Red-eye arrival before 6:45 AM or flight after 9:52 PM | Taxi / Didi only | ¥200–260 · 60–90 min |
| Price-sensitive, plenty of time | Metro Line 2 direct | ¥8 · 70–90 min |
| Connecting to an HSR train at Hongqiao Station | Maglev + Line 2 all the way to Hongqiao | ¥57 · ~75 min (no transfers after Longyang Rd) |
Operating hours and frequency
- Service hours: 6:45 AM – 9:52 PM daily (first / last departures from each end).
- Frequency: Every 15 min during peak, every 20 min during quieter hours.
- Ride time: 7 min 20 sec (peak / 431 km/h windows) or ~8 min (off-peak / 301 km/h).
Prices
- Economy one-way: ¥50 (~US$7)
- Economy round-trip: ¥80 (~US$11) — valid same day only
- VIP one-way: ¥100 (~US$14) — reclining leather seats, front cabin
- VIP round-trip: ¥160 (~US$22)
- Airline-passenger discount: ¥40 off with a same-day boarding pass (so Economy drops to ¥10 one-way / ¥40 round-trip). Ask for it at the counter — the staff won't volunteer it.
- Children under 1.2 m: free with a paying adult.
The boarding-pass discount is only available at the physical counter. It doesn't apply to tickets bought online in advance.
How to buy tickets
Three options, in order of foreigner-friendliness:
Option 1 — At the station (normal)
Walk from the arrivals hall at PVG (Terminal 1 or 2) to the Maglev Station — signs are English-friendly and it's a 5–10 minute walk through an underground passage. At the counter, show your passport, pay with cash / Alipay / WeChat Pay / foreign Visa or Mastercard. The ticket machines also have an English mode.
Queue times are usually short (under 5 min), longer during peak arrival windows (early afternoon international flight arrivals).
Option 2 — Online in advance via Trip.com
If you want to skip the counter entirely — useful if you're arriving late, travelling with a jet-lagged family, or worried about language at the counter — pre-book on Trip.com. You get an instant QR code by email; scan it at the gate. Cancellation is flexible.
Pre-book on Trip.com — get a QR code by email, flexible cancellation, pricing shown in your home currency. Best for late arrivals, groups, or anyone who wants one less thing to figure out at the airport.
Affiliate disclosure: we earn a small commission on Trip.com bookings. Airport-counter tickets are a touch cheaper (and the ¥40 boarding-pass discount is counter-only) — pick whichever trade-off fits your arrival better.
Option 3 — Combo with a Trip.com hotel or airport transfer
If you're booking a Shanghai hotel or airport transfer on Trip.com anyway, maglev tickets can be added as a bundle. Usually not cheaper than separate purchase but saves a step if you're already in their checkout flow.
The 431 km/h question — when it actually hits top speed
The headline speed isn't constant. The 431 km/h peak is only reached during a few scheduled windows per day, typically mid- morning and mid-afternoon. Outside those windows the train cruises at 301 km/h — still faster than any other scheduled rail service in the world, but not the record-book number.
Check the departure board at the station when you arrive — peak runs are marked. During the ride, a display at the end of the cabin shows live speed. The full acceleration to 431 km/h takes about 3 minutes; the cabin barely feels it.
Longyang Road to central Shanghai
Longyang Road itself is in eastern Pudong with nothing much around it — the whole point is the metro interchange. From the maglev concourse you walk 3–4 minutes through a connected corridor to the Line 2 entrance; no street crossings, but some stairs and bag-unfriendly escalators.
- Metro Line 2 (westbound) — Lujiazui (financial district) is 2 stops, 6 min, ¥4. People's Square 5 stops, 18 min, ¥5. Jing'an 7 stops, 28 min, ¥5. Hongqiao Airport terminus 16 stops, ~70 min, ¥8.
- Taxi from Longyang Road — ¥50–100 to most central locations. Use Didi (English mode available inside Alipay) if you want fixed fares.
Bringing large bags up the escalators at the Line 2 interchange is the main pain point. If you have two big suitcases, honestly just take a taxi from PVG — the maglev combo saves time on paper but the transfer undoes most of the benefit.
The honest take
If you're a first-time visitor to Shanghai with one carry-on and a hotel near Line 2, take it — it's the most distinctive transport experience in the country and it's fast. If you're arriving with family and luggage and your hotel is off Line 2, take a taxi and ride the maglev as a round-trip tourist activity from Longyang Road later for ¥80 — it's one of the cheapest thrills in Shanghai and the approach to the station is beautiful at sunset.
What to set expectations for: the ride itself is smoother and less dramatic than most first-timers expect. There's a brief moment of acceleration, then a long steady glide, then deceleration. The 431 km/h peak (when you get it) is genuinely exciting on the display readout, but physically it feels about the same as 301 km/h HSR. The idea is more impressive than the sensation.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Shanghai Maglev worth riding?
- Depends on why. For the experience — yes, the round-trip at ¥80 is one of the cheapest thrills in Shanghai. For airport transfer with light luggage and a hotel near Metro Line 2 — yes, faster than a taxi at peak hours. With two big suitcases or a hotel nowhere near Line 2 — probably not, a taxi is less friction.
- Does the maglev really hit 431 km/h?
- Only in a few windows per day, typically mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Off-peak, it cruises at 301 km/h — still the fastest scheduled train in the world, but not the headline speed. Check the station display for current peak times; the cabin shows live speed during the ride.
- Can foreigners buy tickets easily?
- Yes. The ticket counter at PVG accepts passports, cash, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and foreign cards. The machines have English. If you want to skip the counter queue, buy in advance on Trip.com — you get a QR code by email and scan at the gate.
- Is there a discount if I just flew in?
- Yes — show a same-day boarding pass at the maglev ticket counter for ¥40 off the economy fare (¥50 → ¥10 one-way, or ¥80 → ¥40 round-trip). Airport staff rarely mention it, so ask explicitly. Does not apply to advance Trip.com purchases.
- Is Metro Line 2 faster than taking the maglev then transferring?
- To destinations past Jing'an (Nanjing West Road, West Nanjing Road, Hongqiao Airport) the maglev-then-Line-2 combo is 15–30 min faster than direct Line 2 from PVG. To destinations close to People's Square or in Pudong, the difference shrinks. For Lujiazui you're probably faster with direct Line 2.
- Does the maglev run at night?
- No. Operating hours are 6:45 AM to 9:52 PM — first departure from PVG, last departure from Longyang Road. Red-eye arrivals or late flights mean you'll need a taxi (~¥200 into central Shanghai) or Didi.
Related
- Book China high-speed rail on Trip.com — once you're in Shanghai, onward travel to Beijing, Hangzhou, Xi'an, etc.
- 12306 English app walkthrough — the official rail booking path if you're staying longer.
- China HSR network overview — train classes, stations, and how the system works.
- Interactive HSR route map — plan Shanghai onward travel.