£130bn “Loop” high-speed rail vision proposes circular network linking nine UK and Irish cities

RIBA president Chris Williamson has proposed a £130 billion high speed rail network forming a continuous loop across northern Britain and Ireland. The concept, known as The Loop, would connect Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Bangor.

The proposal envisions a circular corridor linking these cities into what Williamson describes as a single connected northern urban region of around 10 million people. Trains would operate every five minutes at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour. Travel times between cities would be significantly reduced, with all nine locations positioned within 90 minutes of each other under the concept.

The system would run primarily on elevated viaduct structures. Two Irish Sea crossings would be required, between Glasgow and Belfast, and between Dublin and Bangor. These crossings would require either subsea tunnels or major bridge structures. The engineering concept was developed with input from Elliott Wood.

Williamson estimates the project cost at approximately £130 billion, with projected annual economic benefits of around £12 billion. He argues that improved intercity connectivity would encourage collaboration between regions rather than competition for national funding.

The proposal currently has no formal government backing. It will be presented at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition under the theme of interconnectedness.

If delivered, The Loop would represent one of the most ambitious rail infrastructure programmes ever proposed in the United Kingdom and Ireland, extending well beyond the scale of existing high speed rail developments.