Stakeholders in Elon Musk’s Dream of India’s Hyperloop
Virgin’s hyperloop is looking to turn Elon Musk’s dream of a supersonic travel vacuum tubes into a reality, particularly in India since 2017, when the company inked contracts with the governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka to study the influence of a hyperloop in the region. A brainchild of Elon Musk, hyperloop attempts to be a transportation system which consists of two massive tubes extending from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The tubes will have pods carrying passengers at top speeds, over 700 mph. Propulsion is generated by magnetic accelerators planted along the length of the tube, propelling the pods forward. Naturally the tubes will contain a low pressure environment, surrounding the pod with a cushion of air that permits the pod to move safely at high speeds, think of air-hockey… and India’s Hyperlooop would be the first fully functional hyperloop in the world.
Hyperloop seeks high-speed potential with travel time, spans cuts 6 hour rides to 40 minute rides, with Sir Richard Branson Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop One – a major influence within the interior travel experience. Proposed Routes for Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Transportation in India today are Chennai and Bengaluru / Mumbai and Pune.
“The key to India’s growth at a rapid pace is how we transform the process of urbanization. Without disruption, it is not possible. What the Hyperloop presents is a transformational technology which will enable many countries to leapfrog.”
– Amitabh Kant, the CEO of Niti Ayog
Also, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) is the innovative transportation and technology company behind the realization of the Hyperloop.
HyperloopTT comprises of a global team comprised of more than 800 engineers, creatives and technologists in 52 multidisciplinary teams, with 40 corporate and university partners.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, HyperloopTT has offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE; Bratislava, Slovakia; Toulouse, France; Contagem, Brazil; and Barcelona, Spain, and has signed agreements globally to study the hyperloop impact.
Stakeholders involved will be held accountable on the decision in partnering with Hyperloop TT, as mentioned, the government of Maharashtra, Maharashtra officials have appointed Virgin Hyperloop One and its partner shipping giant DP World as the originators of the multibillion-dollar infrastructure project. The Pune-to-Mumbai Hyperloop, links two cities in under 35 minutes, bypassing the timestamp of a 3.5-hour ride by automobile. The taxpayer will not be a financial stakeholder, as DP World, a major Dubai port operator with significant business in India, will spend $500 million to complete phase one of the project.
Ryan Kelly, head of marketing and communications at Virgin Hyperloop One said recently that the designation is “incredibly significant to moving hyperloop forward globally,” in an email he stated “This is not exploration; this is a solid confirmation.”
Time will tell if the whole of the Indian government will be as enthusiastic as Ryan Kelly, especially if Hyperloop does not meet theoretical maximum speed of 700 mph, recently in Las Vegas the supersonic travel vacuum reached only 240 mph, because of the need of additional tracks to reach high velocities.
Resources:
Hyperloop Project in India Inches Closer To Reality
Andrew Hawkins – https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/31/20748788/virgin-hyperloop-one-india-project-approval
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies – https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyperloop-transportation-technologies-partners-and-government-stakeholders-move-forward-with-regulatory-framework-300713602.html