PREVIEW

Top architect unveils proposal to link Britain and Ireland with high speed rail loop. One of Britain’s top architects has unveiled an ambitious proposal for a raised high-speed rail network that would link nine cities across northern Britain and across the Irish Sea. The Loop is the brainchild of the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Chris Williamson. It would connect Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool in England with Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, Bangor in Wales, as well as Dublin and Belfast. If built, The Loop would form a continuous circuit, with trains running in both directions on an elevated viaduct at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour. The journey time between any of the cities would be no more than 90 minutes. According to the proposal, travel from Edinburgh to Manchester would take less time than crossing Los Angeles. Williams hopes linking the nine cities would create a “northern powerhouse” with a population of around 10 million, comparable with other major global cities. The estimated construction cost is £130bn, with projected economic benefits of around £12bn a year, according to Williamson. Trains, around 50 metres long, would run every five minutes. From stations, automated vehicles would handle the final leg of journeys, extending the reach of the system beyond the core network. Though the project may seem far-fetched Williamson insists it could act as a catalyst for long-term economic renewal.