The new connection from Shanghai to the Pudong International Airport is the world’s first commercial magnetic levitation (maglev) railway. Travelling at 431km/h, the 35km journey takes eight minutes, which makes Gautrain (160km/h) look slow by comparison.
Powerful magnets underneath the coaches, combined with magnetised trackwork, cause the train to levitate between one and ten centimetres above the track. As there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear, and propulsion is also achieved by magnetic means.
Shanghai’s showpiece airport train would take under four hours from Pretoria to Cape Town (1,600km).

Original article [Railways Africa]