This new passenger transportation pushes a pod-like vehicle through a near-vacuum tube at airline speeds
Virgin Hyperloop One, a startup which is developing super high-speed transportation systems, said that it is partnering with the Karnataka government. The firm which is backed by Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin group, aims to conduct a preliminary study to understand hyperloop’s feasibility and economic impact in the State.
“India is one of the most important geographies for developing hyperloop networks and reimagining the complete transportation system,” said Nick Earle, senior vice-president for global field operations, Virgin Hyperloop One, in a statement.
The ‘Hyperloop’ concept, which was envisioned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, is a new mode of passenger transportation that pushes a pod-like vehicle through a near-vacuum tube at airline speeds.
MoU signed with KUDD
The Los Angeles, California-based company said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karnataka Urban Development Department (KUDD) to identify potential routes to improve mobility in the Bengaluru metropolitan area. It also aims to connect high growth cities such as Tumakuru, Hubli-Dharwad and Hosur within the State. “We are excited to initiate the build-up of a strong foothold that we foresee in future throughout the State,” said Mr.Earle.
The company, which has already partnered with the government of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, said it would be working with partners in the region. It said KUDD will help navigate the regulatory requirements and support the report with data. “Bengaluru has been the IT hub of the country and all major giants have been functioning out of the region,” said Priyank Kharge, IT, BT and Tourism Minister of Karnataka. “The introduction of a technology like hyperloop will further add to the pace at which the State wants to grow.”
Virgin Hyperloop One said innovations like hyperloop will improve connectivity and accessibility to enable transportation within major cities in India in under two hours. It said this network could create the largest connected urban area in the world by linking over 75 million people across the three metropolitan areas of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
Virgin Hyperloop One is one of many firms trying to develop a pod-based transport system. The company said it has already built and successfully tested a full-scale hyperloop system at its test track in the Nevada desert in the U.S this past summer. In addition to India, the firm is also working on projects in UAE, U.S., Canada, Finland and the Netherlands.
