[TusharK]

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government of Andhra Pradesh to build India's first Hyperloop route. The proposed route will connect the cities of Amaravati and Vijayawada - a journey which currently takes more than an hour. According to HTT, with their high-speed transportation system, the journey time will be cut down to just 5 minutes.



The proposed project will use a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and will receive funding primarily from private investors. In the first phase, HTT will conduct a 6-month feasibility study starting in the month of October. During this time, the best route will be identified by analyzing the surrounding cityscapes. Construction will begin in phase 2 of the project after the feasibility study.



HTT will also work with local stakeholders to build regulatory standards necessary for safe and efficient operation. Moreover, the public-private partnership is expected to generate 2,500 jobs.

Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation system that is currently in its early stages of development. The system consists of a capsule that hovers inside a tube with low air pressure. The remaining air in the front of the capsule is moved back through a compressor. The company claims that this capsule can reach speeds of up to 1,200 km/h in the tube.

Link to Team-BHP News

[PuntoMania]

Most exciting news in ages ! The foresight and the vision of the administration in this case is admirable. The hyperloop system is capable of touching 1200 kmph and seems like the biggest technological breakthrough in mass transit systems in the past 30 odd years.

I sincerely believe we have to leapfrog a few generations of technology to catch up with the developed world, and bold steps like this are steps in this direction.

[Enobarbus]

This technology is likely to take a long time to be operational. I read somewhere that they have never built a loop yet and all the engineers who are currently working on this are working in their spare time. They are not paid for this work, but were given stock options.

I don't know the cost involved, but it is likely to be huge. The Andhra Pradesh Government's share of the investment is likely to be substantial.

I don't know if it is a wise investment for a new, impoverished state like Andhra Pradesh. If successful, it can substantially improve Amaravati's image and standing, but the risks involved are too high in my opinion.

[abhishek46]

The cost of building & maintaining a 100KM long Hyperloop would be simply enormous and will run into Billions of Dollars.

Building a High Speed Rail Link with CWR will be vastly cheaper than this and will solve all purposes.

On a High Speed Train (200+ KMPH), the journey time will be less than 30mins.
Why spend billions of dollars of money to save just 20mins?

This money can be used for so many other welfare, development, educational needs of the poor.

[AJITHAAA]

Our politicians are known for putting the horse before the cart, this is an elephant before the cart. Most of these new technologies are implemented by cash rich countries who have done everything else in terms of basic infrastructure and just want to show they world that they can do something extra too. The Maglev project in Shanghai is one such TD. Its good to think ahead but at what cost and how many people it would serve.

[frewper]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

The cost of building & maintaining a 100KM long Hyperloop would be simply enormous and will run into Billions of Dollars.

Building a High Speed Rail Link with CWR will be vastly cheaper than this and will solve all purposes.

On a High Speed Train (200+ KMPH), the journey time will be less than 30mins.
Why spend billions of dollars of money to save just 20mins?

This money can be used for so many other welfare, development, educational needs of the poor.

Right. Why buy a 80L BMW when you can buy a Maruti and do the same travel, and donate the money for welfare.
Why have a democracy when communism puts everyone on equal and takes away the land from the farmer.

Possibilities are endless my friend.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by frewper

Right. Why buy a 80L BMW when you can buy a Maruti and do the same travel, and donate the money for welfare.
Why have a democracy when communism puts everyone on equal and takes away the land from the farmer.

Possibilities are endless my friend.

Dear Friend,
I have no problem, if an individual spends his own money on a BMW.
However, I have serious problems, if the Govt. spends the Taxpayer's Money (which is in a way, OUR Money) on projects like this.

Especially, when there are hundreds of other 'genuine' projects awaiting funds like for e.g. modernization of Railways, River Interlinking, renewable energy etc.

[PuntoMania]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

The cost of building & maintaining a 100KM long Hyperloop would be simply enormous and will run into Billions of Dollars.

Building a High Speed Rail Link with CWR will be vastly cheaper than this and will solve all purposes.

On a High Speed Train (200+ KMPH), the journey time will be less than 30mins.
Why spend billions of dollars of money to save just 20mins?

This money can be used for so many other welfare, development, educational needs of the poor.

The expected cost of a hyperloop system is supposed to be less than that of a traditional high speed rail, not more.

The model for development of this is also PPP, not tax payer money alone.

Additionally, I disagree with your point about this money being 'put to better use': taxpayer money does not have to be exclusively used for one scheme or the other: For example, by the same logic, you would say we need to abandon our space program and have all that money spent only on welfare and education ? It simply does not work this way in a complex economy where there are multiple levers to manage and there is different parts of a problem.

We have to be ready to innovate and take risks to get out of the cycle of poverty.

[Samurai]

It is a mere distance of 40Kms. I think AP government is trying this as a proof of concept (POC). If it works out for such a short distance, it can be easily extended to longer distance in future. CM Naidu has always been an early adopter of technology. I am really interested to see how this will work out.

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Why spend billions of dollars of money to save just 20mins?

I would rather see that as 80% time saving.

This money can be used for so many other welfare, development, educational needs of the poor.

By the same logic, we don't need space program either. We also don't need expressways when villages don't have roads. Neither do we need sky-scrapers in cities.

If the first Hyperloop came up in Dubai or Singapore, we would pay through our nose to have that fancy ride and then rant as to how India is 10, 20 or even 50 years behind the world.

For once, I am proud that government is willing to take such bold decisions. We need to graduate from adopters to innovators. While there is significant grey area when it comes to possible success of hyperloop, I am optimistic that this will prove to be a benchmark for everyone to follow.

[Venkat_Figo]

While it will be pointed out that, in a country which does not provide basic sanitation facilities to people & big cities get flooded due to heavy downpour for 9 hours, is this really needed.

Well I say, it is, we should definitely work towards improving basic needs but shouldn't shy away from innovating & this is not just to show the world we can take giant leaps but also benefit the people.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

I would rather see that as 80% time saving.



By the same logic, we don't need space program either. We also don't need expressways when villages don't have roads. Neither do we need sky-scrapers in cities.

If the first Hyperloop came up in Dubai or Singapore, we would pay through our nose to have that fancy ride and then rant as to how India is 10, 20 or even 50 years behind the world.

For once, I am proud that government is willing to take such bold decisions. We need to graduate from adopters to innovators. While there is significant grey area when it comes to possible success of hyperloop, I am optimistic that this will prove to be a benchmark for everyone to follow.

Why not let Dubai and Singapore do it first, and show us the claimed cost effectiveness or the time effectiveness as claimed?

The price for this technology will surely come down at a later stage. Why not adopt it then?


Lastly, if the forum believes that Space/Satellite program OR Road Highways has the same benefits & impact as the Hyperloop, then I really have nothing more to say.

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

The price for this technology will surely come down at a later stage. Why not adopt it then?

Which is the reason why we are basking in glory of our trains hitting 160kph while trains around the world travel at speeds in excess of 250 kph. And these are regular trains, nothing special.

Also, by the time hyperloop becomes mainstream (read, all first-world countries have them) there will be some other innovation in mobility space and we will be in similar situation wondering do we go for older established technologies or do we innovate.

[Venkat_Figo]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Lastly, if the forum believes that Space/Satellite program OR Road Highways has the same benefits & impact as the Hyperloop, then I really have nothing more to say.

I believe its not about believing if one program is more beneficial than the other, they have their own significance.

The space program helps us launching satellites which can be used for disaster warnings & road programs help us improve the overall infrastructure of the country.

What is point of having a disaster alert system if the disaster management at ground level is non existent, hence we have the need to develop in all directions, though major focus needs to be on areas where we are under developed.

Imagine the hyperloop assisting a terminally ill patient reach the hospital in 5 mins, in such cases it could be life saving. Even organs can be shifted within a short time to intended location. There could be larger benefits to this.

[antz.bin]

Hyperloop technology has effects much more far reaching than any in the past 30 years.

Eg. Why would someone want to stay *near* the office in the city centre (say, Fort, BKC etc.) when it takes just 5-10 minutes to commute to a relatively open, greener and cleaner suburb (say, Kharghar) (with much cheaper real estate) 30-40km or for that matter, 100km away.

Commuting via hyperloop + self driving car vs driving own car will save a regular commuter ~2 hours a day, 10 hours a week, 520 hours (~27 days) / year coupled with better quality of life.

Decongestion of city centres and rationalization of real estate will be the other side benefits.