India’s first Hyperloop transportation facility is likely to be introduced in Andhra Pradesh (AP), connecting Vijayawada with upcoming state capital Amaravati.
Hyperloop, an idea originally floated by Tesla CEO and SpaceX Founder Elon Musk, involves a futuristic and technology-intensive transportation system that propels a pod-like vehicle through a near-vacuum tube at nearly 1,100 km per hour.
The Los Angeles-based company “Hyperloop One” announced a proposal in March last year to evaluate construction of five Hyperloop lines in India. The five proposed lines include Bengaluru to Chennai, Mumbai to Chennai via Bengaluru, Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai to Delhi and Mumbai to Kolkata.
If the Hyperloop line is completed, people can travel from Bengaluru to Chennai in 20 minutes. The 1,102 km Mumbai to Chennai via Bengaluru line will cover the distance in 50 minutes.
Hyperloop uses a combination of renewable energy to generate more electricity than it consumes. This ensures affordable cost of construction and maintenance. The capsule can move at a very high speed consuming very little energy, making the system highly efficient.
Last year, the AP Economic Development Board (AP-EDB) and US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) had signed an Mo). The government had announced that it will study the feasibility of the project.