Hyperloop - Is India getting it soon?
Getting transported at speeds of 1,200 km/h on the ground does seem intimidating. Yes of course it does. Though it feels like a fantasy, companies have already started building operational tunnels. This is almost going to be a reality very soon, with many successful trials already completed. The idea of transporting people through vacuum and maglev powered trains was envisaged by Elon Musk in 2013. Fast track to 2018, six research companies and a few startups are already in the race to get ‘Hyperloop’ implemented as soon as possible.
Fun fact: It will now be possible to travel both on ground and underwater.
So what is ‘Hyperloop’?
Pods that will transport people or cargo( Those small flying vehicles in the animated series ‘Jetsons’, but much bigger) in steel tubes set up across the entire distance to be covered. For propulsion of these pods, magnetic accelerators are installed across the length inside the tube. The tubes have an extremely low pressure which creates a protective covering, that enables the pods to travel at high speeds safely( You obviously don’t want to get hit constantly at the sides of the tube).
A Visual Representation
( Source: IQS Directory )
So, well let’s just hope we get to implement this fantasy travel within the next two decades or so.
Fun fact: It will now be possible to travel both on ground and underwater.
So what is ‘Hyperloop’?
Pods that will transport people or cargo( Those small flying vehicles in the animated series ‘Jetsons’, but much bigger) in steel tubes set up across the entire distance to be covered. For propulsion of these pods, magnetic accelerators are installed across the length inside the tube. The tubes have an extremely low pressure which creates a protective covering, that enables the pods to travel at high speeds safely( You obviously don’t want to get hit constantly at the sides of the tube).
A Visual Representation
( Source: IQS Directory )
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Now, will India get to use this concept soon?
Recently, in February 2018, Maharashtra government signed an agreement with Virgin Hyperloop One to build a network connecting Pune to Mumbai. The distance of 160 km which usually takes 3 hours will be reduced to just 25 minutes ( Yes!!!, we need this). Now if you are mentally calculating the speed, yes it's around 360 km/h and not the proposed 1200km/h. Speeds of 1200 km/h are yet to be achieved, the maximum to be recorded at around 500 km/h.
Andhra Pradesh has also signed a MoU with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, connecting Amravati and Vijayawada, i.e, 35 km in 5 minutes.
Though investment in hyperloop is in its initial phases, it is surely going to boom up. Still, the feasibility of hyperloop in India is still a big question. Wondering about this fantasy travel can make us easily overlook the present. Metro’s are still incomplete while we have bullet trains and hyperloop in mind. Though Virgin Hyperloop One planned to begin operations by 2020 in India, it has now estimated it to be by 2024. One of the biggest hurdles is going to be land acquisition, a major problem. Whether or not hyperloop is going to be feasible in India is also going to depend on the net cost. The Mumbai Pune line is expected to cost above 10 Billion Dollars, which is more expensive than the upcoming 650 km Mumbai- Ahmedabad Bullet train project. The entire team of Virgin Loop One is currently in Pune, trying to determine the feasibility and plans for the proposed route.
~ Shaikat Mukherjee
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