section_path: Specialized trains/Maglev
section_name: Maglev
paragraph_text: Maglev
  
  Maglev technology uses magnets to levitate the train above the track, reducing friction and allowing higher speeds. The first commercial maglev train was an airport shuttle introduced in 1984 at Birmingham Airport in England.
  
  The Shanghai maglev train, opened in 2002, is the fastest commercial train service of any kind, operating at speeds of up to 431 km/h (268 mph). Japan's L0 Series maglev holds the record for the world's fastest train ever, with a top speed of 603.0 kilometers per hour (374.7 mph). Maglev has not yet been used for inter-city mass transit routes, with only a few examples in use worldwide as of 2019.