UK Ultraspeed was the working title for a proposed new ground transport system,designed to link the major cities of Britain at speeds up to 500 km/h (311mph).
UK Ultraspeed proposed using Transrapid maglev technology, the only ground transport system in the world certified to carry passengers at these speeds.
Update 2013: With High Speed 2, the UK is now committed to conventional wheel-on-rail technology, although there is evidence that, in the UK application, this older and slower technology would have greater capital cost, inferior capacity and city-to-city connectivity, and less efficient whole-life operating economics. This website is therefore now maintained solely for purpose of communicating the benefits which maglev would have delivered in the UK. These benefits remain available, should Government reconsider its technology choice in the future.
UK Ultraspeed. 500 km/h ground transport for Britain.
Enhancing Britain's Environment.
Empowering Britain's Economy.
Transforming Britain's Transport.
UK Ultraspeed intends to participate in the Government's procurement competition for North:South high speed transport, which is anticipated towards the end of the current Parliament. The key propositions which underpin the Ultraspeed transport, policy, business and environmental case are contained in the items available for download below. Items will appear in your downloads folder or on new browser tabs, depending on your browser settings.
PDF: Business Case for London-North England System (2MB)
QuickTime Video: Introduction to UK Ultraspeed (104MB .m4v)
QuickTime Video: The Strategic Case for UK Ultraspeed presented from on board maglev (56MB .m4v)
QuickTime Video: The case for a Stage 1 Glasgow - Edinburgh maglev link (85MB .m4v)
Links to news and media coverage about UK Ultraspeed are here.
