Mar 19 2006

 

A £2.5bn rail project about to be launched in China could fast-track a similar scheme which would be of massive economic benefit to the North.

The Chinese Government has given the green light to the scheme for a 105-mile Maglev track from Shanghai to Hangzhou, on which trains can travel at around 300mph.

North businessman Dr Alan James of UK Ultraspeed wants to use the same technology for a high-speed rail link which could see passengers travelling from Newcastle to London in 100 minutes and from Tyne to Tees in 15 minutes.

Critics of his plans say the system is untested over longer routes as the only existing Maglev link connects Shanghai city centre to the airport 19 miles away.

They say they would rather see the Government invest in established French-style TGV trains, but the initiative in China could change this view.

Dr James, of Northumberland, said: "It is no coincidence that China is the fastest- growing economy in the world and in China Shanghai is the most prosperous and fastest-growing city. The Chinese have seen what this system can do and how it can give them an edge.

"This is technology which has been developed by the Germans and proven in every day use by the Chinese. The risks of discovering whether Maglev works have been taken by other countries and Britain can capitalise now."

Maglev trains use magnetic levitation and reach phenomenal speeds as they travel on a magnetic field generated by both the train and the rails.

Dr James last week met with members of the North East branch of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss his plans.

He wants to create a system which would link London and Glasgow on a single track that will take in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Teesside, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham.

His views appear to be shared by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling who last week gave a speech to the rail industry in which he spoke of the need for a high- speed line which would cut journey times, bring economic benefits and reduce pollution by getting more people out of cars and off aeroplanes.

 

Mar 20 2006

A railway revolution which would slash journey times between Middlesbrough and Newcastle to just TEN minutes has taken a major step closer to reality.

Reaching speeds of 311mph, the electromagnetic levitation transport system, Ultraspeed, could transform the region's economy and eventually bridge the North-South divide.

National leaders are awaiting a report into the viability of the £30bn system which would stretch between Scotland and London - with a Teesside commuter racing to the capital in just 90 minutes.

The Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, announced last week his department would "rigorously" examine the merits of constructing high speed lines in the UK.

And councils in the North-east confirmed they were considering the possibility of pioneering Britain's first Ultraspeed, to link the Tees and Tyne areas.

The man behind the plan said the area should grasp the chance to pioneer the first magnet-powered line, which would be expected to bring billions of pounds to the UK economy.

Chief executive of UK Ultraspeed, Dr Alan James, who hails from Northumberland, said in economic terms transport facilities to the North were letting the area down, but the massive project could turn that around.

"An Ultraspeed link between the Tyne and the Tees will cement the two economic poles of the North-east into one separate city capable of punching its weight in the global economy," he said.

"The major contributory factor in the North-east is accessibility.

"If the North-east wants to compete we have got to radically upgrade accessibility, and Ultraspeed does it more comprehensively and more cost-effectively than any other method."

He added if the North-east had the "vision and the guts" to build the first line, thousands of high-skill job opportunities would be created for the operation.

Mr Darling acknowledged Ultraspeed could act as the catalyst for regeneration schemes in the North-east.

But the Secretary of State noted: "There are huge questions - and they will present massive challenges in the future."

Dr James said: "We know we have got all the right answers."

The transport system known as Maglev was dreamed up in Germany. Shanghai boasts the first and only line and has carried more than a billion people, with 99.92pc availability.

Councillor Bob Cook, Stockton Council's cabinet member for regeneration and development, said: "Time will tell whether Ultraspeed comes to the North-east, making London a commutable journey.

"Whatever happens, engineers and transport experts in the region are working to tackle transport problems together in a bid to boost the area's continuing regeneration."

 

Mar 20 2006

 

The crucial issues now are how quickly the Ultraspeed system can be shown to be viable - and who has the ambition and the vision to bring it on line.

This futuristic transport strategy, with trains using electromagnetic levitation to travel at speeds of 311mph, sounds like it has come from the pages of a science fiction novel. Yet it's a technology that already exists and is working today in Shanghai.

Of course there are major questions to be answered so far as costs and suitability are concerned.

But with the right answers this would surely help meld the region into a major force that could punch its weight not only nationally - but internationally.

For now it seems a distant dream.

But there is nothing fanciful about the climate of ambition, growth and regeneration that is resonating through Teesside and Tyneside these days. And in that modern spirit of confidence and vision it would be a great opportunity to pioneer the system.

One of the main obstacles to our continued improvement as an area and a region is accessibility. With the right drive and enthusiasm we could speed our progress towards a bright and economically-powerful future.