Featured Image Credit: Michael Dunning / NurPhoto/Contributor / Getty
It's amazing to see how far travel has come in the past century, and in 2024, we sometimes have to remind ourselves that we really are living in the future. Whether it's flying cars or wooden Cybertrucks, our forefathers would likely have their minds blown by even the concept of how we get around these days.
Another mode of transport that's changed immensely are trains. Once the backbone of navigating the world, the sluggish days of steam are long gone, replaced by fossil fuels, electric, or even magnets.
The world's fastest train is the Shanghai maglev, and as the name suggests, you can zip around China thanks to the power of magnets.
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Construction on the Shanghai maglev started in 2001, and in keeping with its speedy credentials, it opened just over two and a half years later to serve the people of Pudong and help them reach the Shanghai Metro.
The maglev has hit a Chinese record-breaking speed of 501 km/h (311 mph), but is largely known for its previous operating speed of 431 km/h (268 mph).
Speed demons will surely be disappointed to know the Shanghai maglev has since had its top operating speed reduced to just 300 km/h (186 mph) in May 2021.
Still, being able to make the 30 km journey in only 8 minutes and 10 seconds is pretty impressive.
If you've ever wondered what the inside of the world's fastest train looks like, you don't to need anymore. A Reddit thread showing off the train's cockpit has left curious travelers shocked - showing off just how bare it is. Featuring a standard driver's chair and what looks like another that's been pulled from a school cafeteria, it's pretty sparse. Not what people were expecting for one of the most futuristic modes of transport.
The maglev cockpit also has a fan for those hot Shanghai days, and what appears to be an extension chord plugging in the main console. Given what you've seen from Japan's bullet trains, you clearly expected something more. Then again, with the maglev having been in near-constant use for 21 years, we should probably cut the team some slack.
People were clearly shocked by how basic it looks, with one Redditor referencing 2015's The Martian and saying: "Reminds me of 'You want to send him into space under a tarp?'"
When someone else asked if it's made with plywood floors, another added, "And an office chair and an office floor standing fan and an office power strip. This train is built like a cheap office cubicle. Jesus that's utterly terrible."
Someone else concluded: "This is someone's loft conversion and no one can convince me otherwise."
We're sorry if the interior design on the Shanghai maglev isn't up to your first class standards, but with it earning the title of the world's fastest train, there's no need for all those fancy bells and whistles - this isn't Snowpiercer.
