India has tested its first Hyperloop test track, Avishkar, designed for high-speed trains to travel in a near-vacuum tube at a speed exceeding 1,000 km/h. The 422-metre-long Avishkar Hyperloop was built by IIT Madras with the support of construction company, Larsen and Toubro.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Monday, confirmed a $1 million grant to IIT Madras for further enhancement of the Hyperloop project.
"First hyperloop test track … The first pod of 422 metres will really go a long way in developing technologies," Vaishnaw said at the closing ceremony of Asia's first Global Hyperloop Competition 2025, organised by the Chennai-based institute.
The hyperloop project at @iitmadras; Government-academia collaboration is driving innovation in futuristic transportation. pic.twitter.com/S1r1wirK5o
February 24, 2025What Is Hyperloop Technology?
While not a reality yet, technology enthusiasts are confident about Hyperloop's potential to revolutionise public transportation systems in the world. This ultra-high-speed transport system aims to cut travel time of hundreds of kilometres down to just a few minutes.
One of the major players is The Boring Company, founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which is working on some Hyperloop projects.
The concept of Hyperloop is based on creating a network of tubes, inside which electric pods will travel through a vacuum.
TUM Hyperloop, a German-based company, stated, "Hyperloop combines the key benefits of speed and flexibility, comfort and safety as well as sustainability."
Hyperloop Projects Around The World
1. SpaceX, one of the pioneers in the sector, built the SpaceX Hyperloop test track in 2016. While the test track is complete, the company is currently working with stakeholders on the research and viability of the project in different cities.
2. Netherlands-based Hyperloop company, Hardt, announced its first successful test run of a vehicle at its European Hyperloop Centre in Veendam.
3. In July 2023, TUM Hyperloop completed Europe's first full-scale Hyperloop test segment for passengers. They have a full-scale concrete vacuum tube and a certified passenger-size pod vehicle ready, according to its website.
4. In August 2024, China also successfully tested its Hyperloop project in a low-vacuum environment in the central province of Shanxi.
5. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is another potential player in this sector. It seeks to build a Hyperloop prototype on a section between Venice-Mestre and Padua in Italy. Named Hyper Transfer, the project could be the world's first commercial hyperloop system in Italy.
6. In 2022, Canada's TransPod unveiled ‘FluxJet', its first Hyperloop project that aims to connect the cities of Calgary and Edmonton in Canada's Alberta.
Hyperloop One, founded in 2014, shut down last year due to concerns over the project's feasibility, highlighting the still-nascent stage of the concept.
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