Magnetic Levitation Transportation for Britain

Throughout the world, the seeds of the next generation magnetic levitation (maglev) transport technology are taking root.

China’s Shanghai is currently home to the only commercial maglev line in the world, thanks to German research and development. Maglev projects have been proposed in various nations throughout the world, including the United States, Brazil, Australia, Germany, India, Japan, China, The United Emirates, Spain, and Iran. Germany is not the only country leading the world in developing maglev technology, but Japan too.

The United Kingdom also experimented with the technology. During the 60’s and 70’s, whilst research into the Advanced Passenger Train (APT) was being carried out by British Rail, Professor Eric Laithwaite and a team of engineers worked on the Tracked Hovercraft project.

The Tracked Hovercraft project evolved into the first ever commercial maglev line to be opened in 1984, 20 years before the Shanghai maglev opened to the public in 2004.

A lot has changed since 1984, and Britain’s transport is once again ready to modernise, but unlike many of our European competitors, Britain lacks a High Speed railway network. Britain's current rail system is incompatible with existing high speed rail on the European continent.

This calls for a segregated high speed system, like Japan's Shinkansen, from which the technology for the Class 395 EMU train running the HS1 line, Japan is also switching to maglev for their future system extension. For these reasons, it is so important for Britain to modernise.

But why modernise if Britain can leap forward a generation? Maglev is the next generation, and it is coming, in some countries it is already there, and we the undersigned do not want Britain to be one step behind.

Maglev will bring people together.
With a trip from Manchester to Liverpool taking only 10 minutes, Birmingham to Manchester 20 minutes, and London to Birmingham 30 minutes, economies will be merged together.

The North-South divide will be eliminated, and people will find themselves half an hour away from a new opportunity.

Maglev will create opportunities, both directly, in maintenance, construction and the general running of maglev itself, and indirectly, by the opportunities it will bring closer to people and the businesses it will attract.

High technology businesses always follow high technology infrastructure, and maglev is high technology, it will bring growth on an industrial scale, just like another British invention, the railway, helped fuel the Industrial Revolution.

Maglev will champion the Green Economy.
Air travel is Britain’s single greatest contributor to CO2 emissions; maglev is faster, greener, and cheaper than short haul flights. With people travelling by maglev train, domestic air travel will decrease, along with the CO2 emissions they produce, freeing up runways for more profitable international flights.

We the undersigned believe that magnetic levitation technology is in the national interest, and will make Britain faster, greener, and stronger for the future. We can hope that the next generation will be the Maglev Generation.