Hyperloop Route To Be Set Up In India, Traveling From Mumbai To Pune Takes 25 Minutes Only

Virgin Hyperloop One is working on a dozen projects right now. Because it’s a transportation company based in the US, its projects are set in many locations across the country. Nevertheless, last year, one project was put in India to cover the distance from Mumbai to Pune and it has been recently reported that it may be the very first Hyperloop project to come to life.

For those who are not familiar with Hyperloop, it is a futuristic mass transport system with pods and long vacuum tubes to transport human as well as goods. The system was initiated by billionaire Elon Musk with the aim to significantly shorten the long-distance trips. As the pods will transport in a vacuum environment, the negative effects from air pressure and air pressure are minimized, allowing the pods to reach the speed of 350 – 400 kilometers per hour. The first sketches for Hyperloop design were revealed in August 2013 with the route from Los Angeles to San Francisco (US).

Hyperloop One is currently dominating this field with many contracts to set up the system, including one in India. According to a head engineer at Hyperloop, among five projects in the US and six globally, the company may be rushing to put the project into reality in India first.

There are valid reasons for this priority. The route to be set up from Mumbai to Pune has obtained supports from local entities, including the private bodies since they really need the system for eliminating traffic jam between the two locations. Plus, they will extend the route to Chennai, and unlike other routes over the world, this one had its environmental effect study completed.

As stated by Kristen Hammer, manager of materials engineering at Hyperloop One, the company is currently small and really needs local supports. She continued that the Mumbai – Pune route is projected to come in operation by mid-2020s.

It is 150 kilometers from Mumbai to Pune. Currently, if you travel by car, it may take about two hours and forty-five minutes. If you go by bus, the travel time may be three and a half hours. Traveling by train may take up to four or five hours depending on your departure location in Mumbai. Hyperloop system can cut these down to as few as 25 minutes.

Once this route is successfully set up, Hyperloop One would have paved the way for all other routes, saving the development time.