So on the Shanghai Maglev offical page, the timetable indicates that the train only runs at top speed at certain times during the middle of the day. Specifically, it appears that heading from the airport into Shanghai, it doesn't begin running at 430km/h until 9:02am, before that it only runs at 300km/h. Now, to my knowledge the fastest high-speed trains in Europe regularly run at 300km/h (186mph IIRC), such as the TGV and the Eurostar. Taking the Maglev at 300km/h is kind of "been there, done that" for me and maybe not even worth it.

Now, my flight arrives at 8am and I'll likely not be checking bags, so I'm guessing I can probably be out of customs around 8:30-8:45am.

So, my first question: is it worth waiting 15-30 minutes to get on one of the higher-speed trains, primarily for the thrill? Or is the difference in "experience" not really noticeable?

And I guess my second question is why does the train run slower in the early mornings and the late afternoons/evenings?

Thanks.