Andhra Pradesh government has signed MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the US-based company, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies to bring the super fast transportation system in India. The first project is to be developed and implemented between Amaravati, state’s capital, and Vijayawada.
Hyperloop is a new, high-speed mode of transportation which is currently under development. The transportation will be used to carry cargo and people from one place to another quickly and safely.
“The Hyperloop™ Transportation System is increasingly called the 5th mode of transportation. The capsule hovers inside a tube with low air pressure, and like a jet plane at high altitude, experiences little air resistance. The remaining air in front of the capsule is moved to the back using a compressor, allowing for speeds up to 760 mph, with very low energy consumption,” that’s how the company explained the transportation system works. “The entire tube system is built on pylons, lowering the cost of land acquisition, making it impervious to weather conditions, earthquakes, and crashes.”
The system is currently being tested by the other company named Hyperloop One in the Nevada Desert where the company has had constructed a full-system test development track called DevLoop. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has supported the futuristic mode of transportation and organizes SpaceX Hyperloop pod competition. While the HTT is currently focussed on building a functional five-mile test track in Quay Valley, California, between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The transportation system is currently not in operation anywhere in the world but the company is planning to begin three production systems in service by 2021.
Coming back to the topic, the Andhra Pradesh Hyperloop project will be the first of its kind in the country. The Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) signed the MoU on September 6. The total cost of the project has not yet been disclosed, however, the project, in order to be implemented, will be seeking private investors as the project is based on a public private partnership model.
India’s first Hyperloop transportation project will be developed between Vijayawada and Amaravati covering a distance of over 35Km within 5 minutes, that’s how fast the system is. According to the company, the estimated top speed for a Hyperloop vehicle will be 760 miles per hour (1223Km per hour). As per the MoU, HTT will conduct a feasibility study starting next month in proposed cities to analyze the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two. The study will be six-months long and after that, if everything goes well, the company will start constructing and building the first Hyperloop track in India.
