Highlights:
• Hyperloop ,high-speed transportation system which travels through low pressure tunnel
• It’s eco-friendly, consumes less power than electric trains
• Seeking funding with an estimated cost conveyed around Rs 8.34 crore
The Ministry of Railways has announced that Indian Railways is going to collaborate with IIT Madras for the development of a made-in-India Hyperloop system. It has also announced that it’ll be setting up a Centre for Excellence for Hyperloop technologies at the aforementioned institution.
What hyperloop really is?
Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation system where pressurised vehicles (or pods) travel through a low-pressure tunnel allowing for movement through the atmosphere at almost no resistance, similar to air travel.
It’s like speed of aircraft on land, travelling through low-pressure tunnels from one terminal to another. The pods would move via mag-lev technology that would enable the frictionless ride. Apart from its high speed, it’s also eco-friendly as it consumes less power than an electric train and doesn’t really have any emissions.
Hyperloop in India
India has interest in Hyperloop technology since 2017, when Suresh Prabhu was a Railway Minister. In fact, the ministry also held talks with US-based Hyperloop One, but nothing quite materialised.
IIT Madras’s Avishkar Hyperloop which was formed in 2017 had been working on scalability and frugal engineering concepts for the development of a Hyperloop based transportation system for India. The group was one of the top ten finalists at the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod competition of 2019 and was the only Asian team to do so. They also were awarded the ‘Most Scalable Design Award’ at the European Hyperloop Week in 2021.
Indian Railways will extend financial support of Rs. 8.34 cr to IIT Madras for this project.
The institution approached the Ministry of Railways in March 2022 with a proposal for collaborative working on a prototype as well as the development of a first-of-its-kind Hyperloop Test facility at its Discovery campus located at Thaiyur.
Proposed facility could offer world’s largest Hyperloop Vacuum Tube
After the project being set up, the proposed facility could offer the world’s largest Hyperloop Vacuum Tube that can be used as a Test Bed for future research for a Hyperloop system for the Indian Railways.
The group has sought support from the rail ministry for manufacturing assistance, formulation of safety regulations as well as access to its electrical testing facilities. It’s also seeking funding with an estimated cost conveyed around Rs 8.34 crore.
