Virgin Hyperloop has set up a global Hyperloop Certification Centre (HCC) in West Virginia in the U.S., and the company said it was a major step towards accelerating its safe-mobility projects around the globe, including those in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab.
“The significance of this milestone cannot be overstated. This brings the hyperloop project, connecting Mumbai to Pune to under 25 minutes – and others around the world – one step closer to reality,” said Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop.
The certification centre will enable global regulatory bodies to work with the U.S. federal authorities to establish and set global safety and industry standards for the hyperloop, which can subsequently be adopted and re-applied in other geographies, according to Mr. Walder.
As per Virgin Hyperloop, the opening of this centre builds significant progress around the world on the regulatory front. This global regulatory momentum, combined with the advancements at the HCC, will pave the way for the certification of hyperloop systems around the world – the first step towards commercial projects, including those in India.
It may be recalled that Maharashtra has already deemed hyperloop as a public infrastructure project and approved the Virgin Hyperloop-DP World Consortium as the Original Project Proponent (OPP) for the Mumbai-Pune hyperloop project. Virgin Hyperloop also signed an MoU with the transport department in Punjab. A fortnight ago, it announced a partnership with Bengaluru International Airports Ltd to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed hyperloop corridor from the Kempegowda International Airport.
Virgin Hyperloop now aims to achieve safety certification by 2025, with commercial operations beginning in 2030.
Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group. said, “We’re one step closer to making hyperloop travel a reality for people everywhere.”
