IIT studying feasibility of Mumbai-Pune hyperloop

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, October 25

The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) which is tasked with setting up a test track for the Virgin Hyperloop One project has asked the Indian Institute of Technology (Mumbai) to study its technical feasibility, according to sources.

PMRDA officials said the agency has received preliminary feasibility studies of the project from Virgin Hyperloop, the company promoted by British entrepreneur Richard Branson. Experts from IIT Mumbai will study the data and prepare a report on the technical feasibility of the project. The PMRDA will then take a decision on constructing a test track for the Hyperloop, officials said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had visited the headquarters of Virgin Hyperloop earlier this year and agreed to provide land for a 15-km long test track for the project. Depending
on its success, the government will sign an agreement with the company to set up a hyperloop transportation system between Mumbai and Pune, a statement from the CM’s office had then said.

The state government had earlier said that work on the test track would begin by this year-end. However this has been delayed by a few months, say officials.

Meanwhile, the state government has identified a stretch of land running parallel to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway for setting up with test track, according to officials.

According to Branson, the Hyperloop will allow one to travel between Mumbai and Pune in 25 minutes.

The Hyperloop mode of transportation has not been implemented anywhere in the world. However, Branson’s concept which aims to allow supersonic transport via a pod moving inside a vacuum tube has drawn interest from technology aficionados around the world.