The incredible £130bn plan for high-speed rail loop to link UK and Ireland

Incredible plans for a £130billion rail loop to connect all four UK nations and Ireland have been revealed. The high-speed railway proposed by The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) would link the nine major cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin and Bangor in a continuous circuit.

Chris Williamson's ambitious plan, referred to as 'The Loop', was inspired by plans in other countries, and he pushed for the same pioneering engineering at home.

"Maybe I have been too influenced by the scale, the vision and the ambition of Neom The Line in Saudi Arabia, having worked on the high speed stations running alongside the one hundred and 170km long city for the last few years. But we in the British Isles should be equally ambitious about our future."

"At present the Government seems to expect each city to compete for the same investment funding, when we need to encourage connectivity and collaboration," reports the New Civil Engineer.

He said automated vehicles would serve the final leg of journeys, which he believes could extend the railway beyond its core network.

Sustainability is central to the proposal, with suggestions to capture the waste heat and reuse it to power food production.

Continuous infrastructure along the line would be capable of gathering and redistributing power from onshore and offshore wind, which Williamson and RIBA believe will create a highly sustainable way of life for the region's residents.

RIBA said this energy production would create employment opportunities through data centres, manufacturing and energy-intensive industries, which create a demand for housing and services.

The institute called The Loop an "ambitious scheme" but said it responds to demand in Britain and Ireland. Rather than a tourist attraction, it said the plan aimed to support collaboration between cities and regions.

Williamson's plan is due to be submitted to this year's Royal Academy summer exhibition, which showcases architectural works and contemporary art.