A magnetised “hover train” could carry commuters between Liverpool and Manchester in seven minutes, according to new plans from a travel firm.
Direct City Networks (DCN) has come up with plans that involve developing what would be the world’s fastest underground train system that would eventually run between Liverpool and Hull, reaching speeds of up to 350 miles per hour.
The trains would run using “maglev” technology – magnetic levitation – using electromagnets that also propel the trains forward at high speeds due to the reduced friction.
The aim, the firm says, is to help fuel the Northern Powerhouse.
The trains are already used in Asia, most notably in Shanghai in China where their Transrapid trains run at 267mph, currently the fastest commercially operated trains in the world.
The DCN has proposed a tunnel system linking routes on the northern route, with the firm partnering with Hyperloop, Elon Musk’s high-speed transport firm that is working on pods that can carry passengers through vacuum tubes at up to 600 miles per hour.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the first proposals and a feasibility study will be launched in the coming months, outlining the plans in more detail to try and attract investment for the scheme, which according to reports could cost more than £3 billion.
