Minister confirms maglev under consideration in UK
UK Ultraspeed warmly welcomes the confirmation in the Parliamentary Debate on October 11 from Tom Harris MP, the Transport Minister with responsibility for the rail network, that maglev is under consideration rail as a strategic option for Britain.
We excerpt here the relevant passage from the Hansard record for Oct 11, Col 142 - 143 WH:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Tom Harris): “... in the short to medium term, the Government believe that there are opportunities to increase the carrying capacity on the rail network within the current boundaries.
Nevertheless, the Government are still considering the need for a step change in capacity on the railways. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will not take any of my comments so far as meaning that the Government have in any way ruled out high-speed rail links. Such a step change can be delivered in a number of ways, for example, through major upgrade of the existing network—that is, by adding new lines alongside the current alignment—by building a new line of conventional speed or of high speed, or from building a new line using magnetic levitation technology, or Maglev.
This is perhaps an appropriate moment for me to take pause and offer my sincere condolences, on behalf of the Government, to the friends and family of the 23 people who tragically lost their lives in the accident at the German Maglev test facility last month.
Mr. David Clelland (Tyne Bridge) (Lab): In referring to that tragic accident, will the Minister acknowledge that the tragedy had nothing whatever to do with the technology?
Mr. Harris: I am more than happy to accept that. In fact, I was in Berlin the week the accident happened and was told on my arrival about a plan by the federal and local governments finally to construct a commercial Maglev line—no longer a test line—in Munich. I was interested and glad to hear today that those plans have not been derailed. I also understand that two members of maintenance staff are being investigated for possible charges of manslaughter as a result of the accident, which had absolutely nothing to do with the technology.
To return to the choice between a high-speed link or a Maglev, we will need to take account of many factors to assess the most appropriate solution in considering such a step change. The most critical of those will include the overall cost—that is, up-front capital cost and whole-life costs—the environmental impact of any scheme, and the benefits that are accrued to the passenger and economy from journey time reductions.
There is a range of estimates for the cost of a new line, which depend on the route and the technology, but they all suggest that it would cost a very large amount of money, in the order of tens of billions of pounds.
On the face of it, upgrading existing lines might may appear a cheaper option. However, it might prove more cost-effective to build one new line than to upgrade three existing main lines, especially as that would limit the disruption that has affected passengers on the west coast main line during its upgrade.
Tom Harris on maglev in Parliament
Thursday, 12 October 2006
