Transport senator in Berlin is on track for Magnetic Loop implementation
Berlin, August 2025 — Despite the ambitious plans of Berlin's Transport Senator Ute Bonde and CDU faction leader Dirk Stettner for a magnetic levitation (maglev) train in the city, as of now, there are no publicly reported plans or active government initiatives for implementing this high-speed transport system in Berlin.
Bonde, who envisions a quieter, cost-effective, and autonomous maglev train as an alternative to the U-Bahn and tram, has proposed a pilot track in the Berlin city centre for November 2023. However, her vision for mobility in Berlin by 2035, which includes various technologies such as maglev trains, remains a long-term goal.
The first step towards realizing this vision is the comparison of maglev trains with other means of transport in feasibility studies. The current coalition agreement of the Union and SPD in the Federal Republic, under the Gemeindeverkehrsfinanzierungsgesetz, does mention the magnetic levitation train, but specific plans for Berlin are yet to materialise.
Bonde has suggested a route for the maglev train starting from the former congress centre in the west of Berlin, with potential for check-in or luggage drop-off in the city centre. This route could benefit vacationers travelling to the airport in Brandenburg's Schoenefeld, she believes.
However, not everyone shares this optimism. The Bund for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) Berlin has criticised the proposal as an "absurd project" and a "mockery of all those who seriously want to advance climate protection quickly." SPD faction leader Raed Saleh has called CDU's considerations "castles in the air."
Europe is advancing next-generation maglev technology capable of 600 km/h speeds, with Poland notably active in development efforts. However, these do not currently involve Berlin or German maglev routes. Globally, maglev commercial services remain very limited, with several projects delayed or shuttered, indicating substantial construction, energy, and cost challenges.
Recent rail transport developments in Germany and Berlin highlight conventional rail expansions and route adjustments but do not mention maglev projects or introductions, suggesting that maglev remains out of scope currently. Funding for maglev projects elsewhere, such as the U.S. SCMAGLEV project in Maryland, has encountered setbacks and cancellations due to delays and security concerns, suggesting a challenging funding environment for maglev ventures globally.
Despite these challenges, Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner supports Bonde's vision, suggesting various routes for a magnetic levitation train, including a further ring between the S-Bahn and the state border, and the need for a feeder line. The supports for the magnetic levitation train would be placed along the highway, according to Bonde's plan. The magnetic levitation train route from the ICC to the airport BER has also been publicly discussed.
If and when a maglev train is implemented in Berlin, it could potentially benefit goods distribution centres in Brandenburg, reducing the need for heavy trucks to enter Berlin. However, for now, the prospects for Berlin maglev implementation remain speculative, with no official routes or financial support publicly disclosed.
- The current discussion about maglev trains in Berlin revolves around various forms of public transportation, including the existing U-Bahn and tram systems, as Bonde envisions maglev as a quieter, cost-effective, and autonomous alternative.
- technology plays a significant role in Bonde's vision for Berlin's mobility by 2035, with maglev trains being one of the key components, alongside other future technologies.
- Despite Kai Wegger's support for Bonde's maglev train vision, concrete plans, routes, and financial support for the project remain undefined and unexecuted in Berlin's public-transit sector.
