Up to speed with maglev

UK Ultraspeed's plans for a maglev line between London and Glasgow, UK are described. The line would enable travelling at 500 km/h between London and Glasgow via Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh with a travel time of 160 minutes. According to a study by ILSA Consulting, a national maglev line would generate an additional £60.7bn per year in direct foreign investment. UK Ultraspeed indicate that the cost of building the line averages £21m per route kilometre (excluding land). As the maglev guideway requires up to 45 times less land than a motorway and up to eight times less than a high-speed railway line, the total cost of Ultraspeed would be less than that of any comparable road or rail scheme. It is proposed that the entire capital cost of developing and building the system would be raised from the private sector. Ultraspeed claim that the emissions associated with the maglev would be less than those of high-speed trains and air travel. (A)

• Authors:
  • James, A
• Publication Date: 2006-11-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 19-20
• Serial:
  • TRANSPORT TIMES

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alignment; Costs; Economics; Financing; Future; Magnetic levitation; Planning; Pollutants; Regional planning; Transportation; Transportation modes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Selection
• ITRD Terms: 2894: Alignment; 224: Cost; 263: Economics of transport; 2442: Emission; 244: Financing; 1152: Future transport mode; 1295: Magnetic suspension; 143: Planning; 359: Regional planning; 9072: Selection
• Subject Areas: Economics; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General); I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01043320
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Mar 6 2007 8:51AM