Shopping delivered by magnet in pipeline

Britain’s first shopping pipeline could run for 52 miles alongside the M1
Britain’s first shopping pipeline could run for 52 miles alongside the M1

Shopping will be propelled by magnetism through a network of pipes under plans to cut the number of trucks on the road.

A British company is planning to build hundreds of miles of pipes to transport goods without worsening traffic and vehicle emissions.

Magway, the engineering start-up, says it has raised more than £1.55 million from investors to fund a trial. A 1.2-mile test track will be built this year.

The company hopes to construct a network of pipes with a diameter of 90cm that would carry goods beneath or above ground.

An electric current will run through a track in the pipe, creating a magnetic wave that propels pods at speeds of 50mph less than half a second apart.

It is claimed that the