Plans were unveiled this week for an airship to transport passengers between Oxford and Cambridge.

It is hoped that the SkyCat hybrid air vehicle will be able to transport up to two coach loads of people between the cities in under one hour and at a cost of approximately £10 for a one way journey.

Gordon Taylor, of Hybrid Air Vehicles, feels the airship could fill a gap in the market by providing the first direct route between the cities since the "varsity line" trains closed over thirty years ago.

According to the company's website, the craft combines "lighter-than-air airship technology and air cushioned hovercraft technology".
This means that the SkyCat can land on a The SkyCat hybrid air vehicle will travel from Oxford to Cambridge in less than an hour

range of terrains, including snow and water. It is also an environmentally friendly means of transport, as it consumes just a small amount of diesel or biodiesel fuel.

Oxbridge students have expressed mixed opinions about the service. One student from St. Hugh's College, Oxford, told Varsity, "I don't understand why you wouldn't just use the train like everybody else. I guess I would think about using it. I think that the potential price is very good but it does sound a bit dangerous."

But Mr Taylor is confident of the airship's safety record. "Our teams have been working for more than 35 years flying traditional airships and nobody even sprained an ankle. It's a very safe form of transportation," he said.

Although the proposed model is still under development, a number of prototypes have already been flown successfully.

At the moment, funding remains the pressing issue. With an estimated cost of tens of millions pounds, Hybrid Air Vehicles needs investment for the project to be successful.

They are currently looking to obtain funding from the government, private institutions, and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

But a Cambridge spokesman said, "The University has not been approached by this company. We would need to see a detailed proposal with analysis of likely passenger take-up before we could comment further."

The idea does seem popular in local Huntingdonshire, a district of Cambridgeshire which has redundant airbases that are potentially appropriate for the project.

Corinne Garbett, of Huntingdonshire District Council, expressed hope that the plans would have benefits for the local community.
"The manufacture of component parts for the airship industry would complement our current business sectors and provide high-value jobs for the district."

Flying between Oxford and Cambridge is not a new idea. A commercial plane travelling between the two cities was proposed by the teenage entrepreneur Martin Halstead in 2005.

By 2006, the airline Sky Commuter had taken up the idea. But the service was cancelled due to lack of demand just two months after its 22-minute inaugural flight.

The proposals for the new airship are currently being developed by the company Hybrid Air Vehicles in Bedfordshire, but it may be up to three and a half years before it is ready for public use.

The company has yet to obtain sufficient funding and permission to use the relevant airspace.

Angela Fanshawe

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ACCESS TO THE OTHER PLACE

Coach
Quickest route: X5 (Cambridge - St Neots - Bedford - Milton Keynes - Buckinghamshire - Bicester - Oxford)
Duration: 3 hours 20 minutes
Cost: £9 single

Train
Quickest route: Cambridge - London King's Cross - London Paddington - Oxford
Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes
Cost: £40 single