What is the Silk Purse Road?

The Silk Purse Road Project is a way to turn the pigs ear of the HS2 project, which is based on outmoded technology and economic assumptions, into a technically and socially better service. It can improve journey times between London, the Midlands and (eventually the North) at lower fares. It can operate on a 24/7 basis and have far lower Operational and Maintenance costs than any train service with comparable passenger numbers. It can use both private sector capital and state resources to produce large surpluses and lower fares

It does this by being lightweight, flexible, simple and synergistic, by which we mean it uses a variety of innovations in concert to create radical improvements.

Put simply it proposes the use of a combination of vehicles ranging from coach sized 64 seat Shuttle /carriages (which can emulate the 500 seat capacity of an HS2 train) to small 6/8 seat ‘robotaxies’. Rails and steel wheels are discarded in favour of synthetic tyres and a simple roadway. Overhead power systems are replaced by battery packs. These battery packs have systemic technical and practical advantages. In short it ‘future proofs’ the system. Signalling and drivers are replaced by visually based AI with multiple redundancy. All these technologies are currently available.

To beat projected HS2 times, the cruising speed of the SPR vehicles would initially be set at 155mph for London to Birmingham and 172mph for London to Manchester. Although these speeds are slower than the HS2 top speed, journey times are reduced by quicker acceleration to cruise speed and lower braking distances. The system is made even quicker by quicker embarkation procedures and service frequency.

We believe there is the capability using current technology to cruise at up to 200mph

Also the station design and method of boarding is radically faster and the system allows much higher capacity as well as a 24 hour 7 day a week service (even allowing for roadway maintenance).  The terminus, to be built at Euston Station would be cheaper to build, have a smaller footprint and would retain most if not all of existing rail platforms. 

For a description of the proposed terminus at Euston see Terminus at Euston

For examples of how this system can affect lives see our examples in Case Studies

For a White Paper detailing the project in detail email info@silkpurseroad.uk