Construction of the first full-scale Hyperloop system begins

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) has commenced the construction of a full-size passenger and cargo system at their research and development center in Toulouse, France. The first of the passenger capsules will be brought in from Spain in the summer.

The system will consist of 4.0m diameter tubes along with passenger and shipping capsules. In the first phase, a 320m long closed circuit is scheduled to be operational by the end of the year. A longer 1km test track will be built on elevated pylons at a height of 5.8m. This is expected to be completed by 2019.

Hyperloop is currently in its early stages of development. It is a high-speed transportation system that consists of capsules that hover inside an airtight tube with low air pressure. A compressor helps move the air in front of the capsule behind it and the claimed top speed is 1,200 km/h in the tube. The company aims to develop this as a safe and more efficient mode of transportation compared to the existing systems.

Back in September 2017, HTT signed a MoU with the government of Andhra Pradesh to build India's first Hyperloop route. Currently undergoing a 6-month feasibility study, construction is expected to begin after the study as Phase 2 of the project.