Wedoany.com Report on Feb 10th, Inspired by Saudi Arabia's futuristic NEOM city plan, a "loop" high-speed rail proposal aiming to connect nine major cities across the UK and Ireland was recently unveiled. This concept, proposed by Chris Williamson, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), plans to link the English cities of Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, and Liverpool; the Scottish cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow; Bangor in Wales; and Dublin in Ireland and Belfast in Northern Ireland via a high-speed rail loop.
Williamson stated that the goal of creating this transportation network is to promote regional collaboration. He pointed out that connecting these cities would help form a sizable economic region. Currently, different parts of the UK often compete for funding and resources, whereas this loop high-speed rail proposal focuses more on enhancing overall connectivity.
According to the preliminary concept, this loop high-speed rail would be laid on elevated stone bridges, constructed using pre-stressed stone beams, designed to harmonize with the surrounding landscape. The trains are expected to have a design speed of 300 miles per hour (approximately 483 km/h), potentially reducing travel time between any two cities to under 90 minutes. This would significantly alter regional commuting patterns; for example, the journey from Edinburgh to Manchester would take less time than crossing Los Angeles.
The main engineering challenge in realizing this loop high-speed rail concept lies in the need to cross the Irish Sea twice, potentially requiring the construction of tunnels or sea bridges. Such cross-sea connection concepts have precedents, with previous discussions on linking Northern Ireland with Scotland, or connecting Wales with Dublin.
If implemented, this project would become the third high-speed rail line within the UK. Previously, the HS1 high-speed rail connecting London to the Channel Tunnel began operation in 2003, while the HS2 high-speed rail is currently under construction on the London to Birmingham section. The plan to extend the northern section of HS2 to Manchester and Leeds was previously canceled, making northern regions more attentive to new rail transit proposals. Williamson emphasized, "The British Isles should have equal ambition for the future." Although this loop high-speed rail proposal is still in the conceptual stage, it reflects a vision to strengthen regional connectivity and optimize the economic geography.
