Hyperloop, the revolutionary mass transportation technology, has finally begun to take shape. The company on Friday said that it has started construction of the world's first full-scale passenger and freight system. The tube-led transportation system is being built at Toulouse in France. The tubes will have an interior diameter of 4.0 meters and the system is optimised both for passenger capsules and shipping containers.
The first phase includes a closed 320-meter system that will be operational this year. In addition, a second full-scale system of 1 km elevated by pylons at a height of 5.8 meters will be completed in 2019.
“We’ve pioneered the technology, proved feasible and insurable by the world’s largest reinsurance company, Munich RE. We have agreements in place in nine countries where we’re working on feasibility and regulations. We have a research centre for freight and logistics in Brazil and a facility in Toulouse where we’ll deliver the first full-scale passenger capsule. Hyperloop is no longer a concept; it has become a commercial industry,” said Bibop Gresta, chairman, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies.
In India, the first Hyperloop is expected to come up at Amaravathi in Andhra Pradesh. Last year, government of Andhra Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with California-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) to develop India's first Hyperloop route in the state.
The proposed route for the Hyperloop between the city centers of Vijaywada and Amaravati could potentially turn a trip of more than one hour into a 6 minute ride. The project will use a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with funding primarily from private investors.
HTT's transportation platform is expected to enrich the IT infrastructure and ecosystem of Andhra Pradesh. It will also give rise to development of various state-of-the-art technology parks and software clusters in Amaravati, helping to fortify the city's image as a world class leader in science and technology.