World’s 1st Hyperloop Passenger Approved In India; Pune To Mumbai In 35 Minutes! (10 Facts You Should Know)

Finally the Government of Maharashtra has approved the Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop project, and Virgin Hyperloop One will be heading with the first Hyperloop public infrastructure project in the world. To be known as the Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop, it will bring down the journey time between Pune to Mumbai to 35 minutes from the current 3 and a half hours road journey.

The basic idea of Hyperloop transportation was envisioned by Elon Musk.

According to the company, no public money is being spent on the Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop project. The whole infrastructure will be built on a partnership between DP World and Virgin Hyperloop One and the government of Maharashtra with further investment from different investors as the project advances.

Here’s everything you want to know about the upcoming Hyperloop transportation in Maharashtra.

How Hyperloop Transportation Works?

Hyperloop transportation uses vacuum inside a tube to travel at over 1100 to 1200 kilometres an hour in a floating pod. Passengers would stay in a giant low-pressure pod, and it will travel from one place to another, either above or below ground. 

The high-speed passenger transport system will have a sealed tube through which Pune and Mumbai will be connected. There will be high-speed pods which will move through electromagnets.

Is Hyperloop Transportation Cheap?

The companies who are working with the idea suggest it to be cheap. While the system is yet to be commercialized, but experts say that the travel would be much cheaper than the traditional fast-rail. In India, Hyperloop could be cheaper the regular train fares given the government backing the project.

The Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop project will potentially unlock some major economic benefits in the state.

Essentially Hyperloop transportation aims to solve the time problem for the distance being travelled. It’s obviously going to be quicker and also expected to be cheaper at the same time.

From Where The Idea Of Hyperloop Generated?

The idea of vacuum tubes as a transport system has been there fro long. Crystal Palace pneumatic railway used air pressure to push a wagon uphill for the first time in Victorian south London back in 1864. Such pneumatic tubes was later used to send mail and packages between buildings in the late nineteenth century.

Even till today they are used to move cargo between supermarkets and banks to move money.

The idea of the Hyperloop transportation was developed by Robert Goddard in the early twentieth century. Since then, many such ideas of transportation have floated. But the recent interpretation by Musk came to limelight, and companies are fighting out across the globe to bring the technology to reality. 

How Hyperloop Transportation Is Different Than Bullet Trains?

They are not different. Both Hyperloop and Bullet trains use the same technology. Bullet trains use Maglev or magnetic levitation. The Electromagnets levitate the train a short distance and the magnets create thrust which moves the train. But bullet trains are costly to build. While on the other hand Hyperloop is comparatively cheaper.

Trains using maglev technology are already operational in China and Japan with a record speed of over 600 kilometres an hour.

As bullet trains based on maglev systems are very expensive to build and maintain, only a handful of projects see the light of the day. The Hyperloop transportation will also use magnetic field to push the pods to float and move forward.

When Did Maharashtra Govt. Approve The Hyperloop Project?

The Maharashtra state government was one of the first proponents of the hyperloop technology. It’s going to be a public infrastructure project, the first hyperloop project in the world. DP World (DPW) will be investing $500 million to complete phase 1 of the hyperloop project.

Maharashtra will be the first to have a hyperloop transportation system in the world.

In the state, the hyperloop supply chain will start from Pune. According to the makers, the project will be able to create hundreds of thousands of new high-tech jobs generating over $36 billion in wider socio-economic benefits.

Not only the hyperloop transportation service, the project will be bringing up manufacturing opportunities of hyperloop components for the state to export to other states and countries.

Which Cities In Maharashtra Will The Hyperloop Project Connect?

The hyperloop project will connect central Pune with Mumbai. The travel time is estimated to be completed under 35 minutes. The current journey by road takes around 3 and a half hours. Starting with Maharashtra, the hyperloop transportation system soon would become a part of the integral public transport across the globe.

With the commercialisation of the system, Hyperloop will be able to transform the whole region into a mega-economic space.

With Hyperloop One is place, it will help passengers to travel seamlessly without any hassle and time issues. This will eventually turn the rapidly growing Pune-Mumbai corridor into one of the most fast-paced economic regions in tha world.

How Many Passengers Travel Between Pune And Mumbai Every Year?

Going by the estimates, around 75 million passenger travel between Mumbai and Pune annually. This is expected to almost double to 130 million by 2026. The Hyperloop One system has the capability to meet the growing demand and meet as much as 200 million passengers annually.

The solution to the huge distance is Hyperloop. It will help people to travel without any time constraint or even budget.

Not only people, the Hyperloop One will also work to move the cargo between these two centres. The current blueprint shows how cost-effective and sustainable would the travel turn out with Hyperloop.

Is India The Only Country To Have Hyperloop Transportation?

No, but India is the first to take the leap. If completed on time, the Pune-Mumbai line would be the first Hyperloop public transportation corridor in the world. Currently, Virgin Hyperloop One has projects underway in Missouri, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, the Midwest, India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Coming back to India, Virgin Hyperloop One plans to expand the new form of transportation to the other cities as well.

The company is sure about expanding the hyperloop network across entire nation. While the Pune-Mumbai project is still in its initial phase, probably soon the Government of India and other state governments may also partner with the agency for more projects in other parts of India.

Who’s Paying For The Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop Project?

According to the company, no taxpayer money is going to be spent on the Hyperloop project in Maharashtra. DP World, a Dubai port operator with a huge base of business in the country is one of the early investors in the project. DPW will be spending around $500 million to complete phase one of the project.

As the project continues to grow, the rest of the money will come from other investors.

The multibillion-dollar infrastructure project will work via formal bidding. Virgin Hyperloop One has been deemed for it, and the company will work to create the world’s first hyperloop project in India.

How Much Time Will It Take To Complete The Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop Project?

The project is supposed to be finished in a couple of years if everything goes right. It’s expected to be an underground Hyperloop project, the majority of the work is going to involve boroughing off underground. The places above will have to be evacuated when the process is being carried out to maintain the safety.

It could either be very similar to underground metro work or an elevated network, but here the company would create a vacuum network.

The hyperloop costs less than traditional high-speed rail, and the experts believe that the duration will not be long either. Hyperloop will eventually help to take the load off gridlocked roads, making travel between long distances easier and convenient.

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