How long before the UK adopts Maglev systems?

RandomTom

RandomTom

RandomTom

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The UK Ultraspeed project for commercial Maglev trains to run at around 260-300mph is a long way off, but it's been running in Shanghai for 4 years or so now - has anyone here been on one? They seem like awesome beasts.

Although I've only recently become interested in this stuff, this introductory video (you don't have to watch it all) is pretty interesting. Although the initial outlay of cost is ridiculous at the moment (somewhere suggested £30m a mile) I can't see any other factors detracting from this great technology - if its been a proven success in China.


And an obviously biased economical view behind it:


How long do you think it'll be before the UK adopts a new form of rail travel? Anyone reckon we'll see any new maglev track being laid before 2020?
 
I wouldn't trust the bunch of Muppets in charge to run a Mag-Lev infrastructure. They can't even run the current 19th Century rail based set-up without cocking it up, so God knows what a mess they could make of the latest tech.
 
you HAVE to be kidding.

Even IF we find the money, and political will to do it, the tree huggers will prevent it from being built.
 
Azagoth said:
I wouldn't trust the bunch of Muppets in charge to run a Mag-Lev infrastructure. They can't even run the current 19th Century rail based set-up without cocking it up, so God knows what a mess they could make of the latest tech.
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+1

frosty03 said:
you HAVE to be kidding.

Even IF we find the money, and political will to do it, the tree huggers will prevent it from being built.
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On the contrary, the tree huggers would be delighted with this because it's a non-polluting tech. They'd be pushing it as hard as possible.

pingwing said:
You mean we will never succumb to the evil of other peoples good ideas and claim we have something better...... :p
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It's the British way! :D
 
Azagoth said:
They can't even run the current 19th Century rail based set-up without cocking it up,
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And the reason why is right there, in your rant. 19th Century. Europe got a far better system because the Allies removed all their old stuff and let them start again from scratch.



M
 
The main problem as I see it is a lack of physical space. Purchasing a strip of land from the M25 into central London would be prohibitively expensive and there's no way that existing track space could be used since it's required for existing traffic. Tunnelling is a possibility but look at Crossrail - £16 billion quid to go 14 miles in 8 years!
 
Interestingly, we in Britain had one of the first commercial maglev systems (it was between Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International station) back in the mid 80's and early 90s. Doesn't exist any more unfortunately but it's still a sign that we can do new technology occasionally, given the right conditions.
I think we will eventually get maglev, but not any time soon and when we do, it'll be very piecemeal. When you consider that 60% of the UK rail network isn't even electrified, that shows you what sort of progress gets made here.
 
Masterdog said:
Interestingly, we in Britain had one of the first commercial maglev systems (it was between Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International station) back in the mid 80's and early 90s. Doesn't exist any more unfortunately but it's still a sign that we can do new technology occasionally, given the right conditions.
I think we will eventually get maglev, but not any time soon and when we do, it'll be very piecemeal. When you consider that 60% of the UK rail network isn't even electrified, that shows you what sort of progress gets made here.
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I didn't know such a high percentage wasn't yet electrified. That's shocking.

But i think that's the thing - it could be developed slowly but surely, the video gives the example of connecting manchester and liverpool in about 15 minutes - which could relieve any strains had by the two airports - and create a great network.

I really think this is more of a viable future than concorde.
 
Lack of money, no government will power.

We should be opening up closed train stations, and increasing local capacity. not looking at faster ways. The government keeps slashing budgets every year. electrification, looks like it will be going ahead. But not until 2015 I think and even then it'll be a long process.
 
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RandomTom said:
it's been running in Shanghai for 4 years or so now - has anyone here been on one? They seem like awesome beasts.
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I have :) 400km/h+ is the secondmost awesome feeling I've ever experienced, apart from skydiving.

It takes a while to get to 400km/h because they limit it in the built up areas, but once you're in the countryside it really gets going.

Epic!
 
Meridian said:
And the reason why is right there, in your rant. 19th Century. Europe got a far better system because the Allies removed all their old stuff and let them start again from scratch.
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I'd kill for our 19th Century rail network to be restored- it was easily the most comprehensive, efficient and productive system in the world. We had the Great Central main line from Marylebone to Sheffield- one level crossing on the whole line, built to continental loading gauge, finished in 1897, ripped up in 1966 and better than anything we've seen since, HS1 excluding!
 
Meridian said:
And the reason why is right there, in your rant. 19th Century. Europe got a far better system because the Allies removed all their old stuff and let them start again from scratch.



M
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Yeah, but even the Continental railways are still based around the 19th Century principle of a powered engine pulling/pushing a train running on two metal rails. They seem to be able to run theirs perfectly fine, yet for some reason our railways are absolutely dire in comparison.

Using the old argument, when was the last time you heard of the German or French railway system brought to it's knees by the wrong sort of leaves or wrong type of snow on the tracks?
 
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