Delhi to Mumbai in just 55 minutes – This is what Hyperloop plans to do

Hyperloop is working on a technology that would use magnetic levitation in low-pressure tubes to transport people and goods at superfast speeds.

New Delhi: US-based company Hyperloop One is working on a technology that would use magnetic levitation in low-pressure tubes to transport people and goods at superfast speeds like 1,102 km Mumbai-to-Chennai via Bengaluru in 50 minutes or 334 km Bengaluru to Chennai in 20 minutes.

The company in its first-ever summit with government officials in New Delhi has also showcased the possibility of travelling to Mumbai from Delhi in just 55 minutes –faster than any commercial airline.

Hyperloop One sees India as among the top three markets for its super-fast transportation solution and is ready to invest "billions of dollars" in the country, CEO Rob Llyod said.

The US-based company, which is hopeful of launching the prototype within next three to four years, is ready to invest "billions of dollars" if India evinces interest and provides conducive environment.

The Hyperloop One Vision For India summit also showcased five Hyperloop One Global Challenge (HOGC) semi-finalist teams from India, each of which proposed high-speed transportation routes that could improve the lives of millions of Indian citizens. The HOGC required the teams to develop regional proposals integrating Hyperloop One's disruptive transport technology to move passengers and freight from point-to-point, swiftly, and on-demand.

The HOGC which kicked off in May 2016 invited teams across the world to put forward a comprehensive and commercially viable transport plan covering economical and policy aspects of their respective cities, regions and countries. The HOGC received more than 2,600 registrants

from 90 countries, and narrowed the field down to 35 semi-finalists across all continents with a potential pipeline worth $26 billion. India led the way with the highest number of registrants and had the most vocal supporters of Hyperloop One on social media. The India semi-finalists include:

- AECOM - Bengaluru-to-Chennai: 334 km in 20 minutes; meeting the demand of a passenger and freight super-corridor growing at 15% a year.

- LUX Hyperloop Network - Bengaluru-to-Thiruvananthapuram: 736 km in 41 minutes; connects two major ports in southern India with population centres of Coimbatore and Kochi.

- Dinclix GroundWorks - Delhi-to-Mumbai via Jaipur and Indore: 1,317 km in 55 minutes;freight and passengers; connects two megacities and creates seaport access for landlocked intermediary cities in the interior.

- Hyperloop India - Mumbai-to-Chennai via Bengaluru: 1,102 km; 50 minutes; phased development for freight and passengers; boosts capacity at ports of Mumbai and Chennai, creates a Suez Canal-like link between India's coasts.

- Infi-Alpha - Bengaluru to Chennai: 334 km in 20 minutes; meeting the demand of a passenger and freight super-corridor growing at 15% a year; connects with major airports.