The Ministry of Railways has announced that it’s going to collaborate with IIT Madras for the development of a made-in-India Hyperloop system, according to a PTI report.
It has also announced that it’ll be setting up a Centre for Excellence for Hyperloop technologies at the aforementioned institution.
Also Read: Hyperloop One Might Setup Its First Route In India; Meaning Mumbai To Pune In 25 Mins Flat
Hyperloop is a concept of high-speed transportation where pressurised vehicles (or pods) travel through a low-pressure tunnel allowing for movement through the atmosphere at almost no resistance, similar to air travel.
Imagine, an aircraft like speed on land, travelling through low-pressure tunnels from one terminal to another. The pods would move via mag-lev technology that would enable the frictionless ride.
Apart from being extremely quick, it's also eco-friendly as it consumes less power than an electric train and doesn't really have any emissions unlike an aircraft or a diesel locomotive .
India has shown interest in Hyperloop tech since 2017, by then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. In fact, the ministry also held talks with US-based Hyperloop One, but nothing quite materialised.
IIT Madras’s Avishkar Hyperloop which was formed in 2017 had been working on scalability and frugal engineering concepts for the development of a Hyperloop based transportation system for India. The group was one of the top ten finalists at the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod competition of 2019 and was the only Asian team to do so. They also were awarded the ‘Most Scalable Design Award’ at the European Hyperloop Week in 2021.
To usher into a new era of transportation, Indian Railways has come together with @iitmadras to develop a hyperloop technology based transportation system. Indian Railways will extend financial support of Rs. 8.34 cr to IIT Madras for this project. pic.twitter.com/xUoMyxj9QU
Fast forward to March 2022, the institution approached the Ministry of Railways with a proposal for collaborative working on a prototype as well as the development of a first-of-its-kind Hyperloop Test facility at its Discovery campus located at Thaiyur.
Also Read: IIT Madras Students May Present Their Winning Hyperloop Pod Design To Elon Musk Himself
After being set up, the proposed facility could offer the world's largest Hyperloop Vacuum Tube that can be used as a Test Bed for future research for a Hyperloop system for the Indian Railways.
The group has sought support from the rail ministry for manufacturing assistance, formulation of safety regulations as well as access to its electrical testing facilities. It’s also seeking funding with an estimated cost conveyed around Rs 8.34 crore.
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