[3] Prior to May 2021 the cruising speed was 431 km/h (268 mph), at the time this made it the fastest train service in commercial operation.

[3] During a non-commercial test run on 12 November 2003 a maglev train achieved a Chinese record speed of 501 km/h (311 mph).

The Shanghai Maglev track (guideway) was built by local Chinese companies who, as a result of the alluvial soil conditions of the Pudong area, had to deviate from the original track design of one supporting column every 50 meters (160 ft) to one column every 25 meters (82 ft), to ensure that the guideway meets the stability and precision criteria.

Several thousand concrete piles were driven to depths up to 70 meters (230 ft) to attain stability for the support column foundations.

The train was inaugurated in December 2002 by the German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, and the Chinese premier, Zhu Rongji.

Since 2010, a fourth train of Chinese production (made by Chengdou Aircraft Industries) has been added to the rolling stock.

Hans-Dieter Bott, vice president of Siemens that won the contract to build the rail link, stated that "Transrapid views the Shanghai line, where the ride will last just eight minutes, largely as a sales tool.

[11] The chief executive of ThyssenKrupp, Dr Ekkehard Schulz said he was certain that not only Germany, but many countries would follow the Chinese example.

[13]In January 2006, the Shanghai–Hangzhou maglev line extension project was proposed by the Shanghai Urban Planning Administrative Bureau.

[16] In January and February 2008, hundreds of residents demonstrated in downtown Shanghai against the line being built close to their homes.

[17] Representatives of the residents filed a formal request to demonstrate with the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, which was rejected.

According to China Daily, as reported on People's Daily Online 27 February 2009, the Shanghai municipal government was considering building the maglev line underground to allay the public's fear of electromagnetic pollution and the final decision on the maglev line had to be approved by the National Development and Reform commission.

In October 2010, the non-maglev Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway was opened, bringing travelling time between the two cities down to 45 minutes.

[19] In addition, a new express Airport Link line (机场联络线), which began construction in June 2019[20] and is due for completion in 2024, would likely stop any future extension.

[21] The levels were attributed to limited operating hours, the short length of the line, high ticket prices and that it terminates at Longyang Road in Pudong – another 20 min by subway from the city centre.

In its initial years of operation, the Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co. Ltd, the company that runs the line, had more than one billion RMB in losses.

[26] Nevertheless, the line's lack of profitability derives from its construction to envision the future of China's rail infrastructure, such as converting its entire high-speed rail network into maglev, rather than a viable market solution to garner a profit from travelers.

[29] On August 11, 2006, at 14:40, a Maglev train compartment caught fire after leaving Pudong International Airport.