In a groundbreaking development, IIT Madras, with backing from the Ministry of Railways, has unveiled India's inaugural hyperloop test track, stretching 422 meters long. This innovation promises to revolutionize transportation, allowing travelers to cover 350 km in just 30 minutes. As such, the journey from Delhi to Jaipur, roughly 300 km, could be accomplished in under half an hour.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the exciting news on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the power of government-academia partnerships in pioneering futuristic transport solutions. "Government-academia collaboration is driving innovation in futuristic transportation," he noted.
The cutting-edge test track, funded by the Ministry of Railways, is situated on the IIT Madras campus. Minister Vaishnaw, buoyed by the development's success, remarked, "The first pod of 422 meters will go a long way in developing technologies. I think the time has come when, after the first two grants of one million dollars each, the third grant of one million dollars will be given to IIT Madras for further developing the hyperloop project."
Meanwhile, the Railways are gearing up to embark on their first commercial hyperloop project soon.
Understanding the hyperloop system
Dubbed the 'fifth mode of transport,' the Hyperloop is a high-speed system designed for long-distance travel. It utilizes special capsules within vacuum tubes, enabling trains to achieve remarkable speeds.
The innovation involves a pod that electromagnetically levitates inside a vacuum tube, minimizing both friction and air resistance. As a result, these pods can potentially reach speeds of up to Mach 1.0. To put that into perspective, Mach 1.0 is approximately 761 miles per hour at sea level.
An official press release highlights that the Hyperloop will offer numerous advantages, including immunity to adverse weather conditions, collision-free travel, speeds that double those of airplanes, as well as low power consumption and energy storage compatible with 24-hour operations.