NEW DELHI: After the breakthrough in developing a hyperloop test track (422m) by IIT Madras with support from Indian Railways, the government is now planning development of a 50km corridor for commercial transport, said minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. It may be the longest hyperloop track in the world.
“The first tube will go a long way in developing technologies. The time has come when after the first two grants of $1million each (nearly ₹9cr), the third grant of $1million will be given to IIT Madras for further developing the hyperloop project in a nice way. And once we see the commercial or rather pre-commercial where the product is ready, then within the railway set-up we will start the first commercial project. We will decide a site, which can be used for good commercial transportation of 40km-50km and then we will go for it,” Vaishnaw said while addressing the closing ceremony of Asia’s first Global Hyperloop Competition by IIT Madras.
Sources said the test track for commercial operation will help railways assess viability of the technology. The hyperloop track can allow speeds of up to 1,200kmph. The successful development of the first test track, which was completed in Dec last year, will be the base for future development.
There are 8 hyperloop projects around world
Hyperloop systems are expected to dramatically reduce travel times between cities, offering an alternative to traditional rail and air travel. The hyperloop concept envisions high-speed, low-pressure pods travelling at speeds of up to 1,200 kmph.
The hyperloop system was first conceptualised by Swiss professor Marcel Juffer in the 1970s. In 1992, Swissmetro SA was set up to develop this project, but it went into liquidation in 2009. At present, there are eight promising hyperloop projects in the world, including Virgin Hyperloop which has been actively testing its systems in Nevada. Canadian firm TransPod is also constructing a test track to validate their design.
In an official statement, the railway ministry said IIT-Madras and railways will also work together on vertical take-off landing vehicles.
