The Hyperloop!
The Hyperloop is a revolutionary and sustainable concept that enables people to travel at the speed of aircraft, but with the comfort of a train and with a fraction of the energy used by today’s modes of transport. The Hyperloop is a high-speed transport system with tubes, in which capsules with passengers move. The tubes are under a low pressure, so the air resistance is so low that it is possible to travel almost at the speed of sound. The Hyperloop takes passengers to destinations hundreds of kilometers away in no time. For example, it will be possible to travel from Amsterdam to Paris or Berlin within half an hour.
With a hyperloop network in the Netherlands, the Randstad will be accessible from all corners of the country in less than half an hour. The time has come for the growth of air traffic to be slowed down. Electric aircraft are also not a solution for both the short and long term. There must be an alternative that is at least as attractive as flying.
The advantages of the hyperloop are considerable: short travel time, no climate pollution and affordable for everyone. The tubes through which the trains travel can be built both underground and above ground and the network must yield an international economic reinforcement. The hyperloop hardly emits any CO2 and uses solar energy, making the system very environmentally friendly. Finding the space to build the infrastructure of the hyperloop is less complicated than that of a train. The tube can be built both under and above the ground. The pipe can even be built on stilts to avoid separating two areas or when there is no ground available.
Yet there are also critical voices. Not everyone is equally enthusiastic about the hyperloop. For example, the hyperloop would not be suitable for short distances and would therefore not be interesting for a country like the Netherlands. According to critics, the potential of the hyperloop is limited, the potential only exists for certain flows within Europe. The hyperloop should first focus on a European scale and then mainly from city to city. It is difficult to immediately apply the hyperloop on a global scale due to infrastructure that is difficult to build. The only option that immediately comes to mind for the construction of the hyperloop is next to or above a rail or motorway, but due to the speed of the hyperloop, it is necessary to drive on straight stretches as much as possible. The development of this infrastructure is a considerable investment in money and time, which could make the hyperloop a relatively expensive means of transport. In addition, the payload of the hyperloop is just as high as the smallest payloads for road and air freight. The smallest payloads are referred to as small trucks and airplanes.
Furthermore there is also criticism from experts who state that there are still many technical snags to the hyperloop. There are also doubts about the costs. According to estimates, the 560-kilometer stretch between Los Angeles and San Francisco would cost $ 6 billion. Experts find that estimate far too low. If we compare it to the construction of a high-speed line. This cost seven billion euros for a 125-kilometer route.
There are many advantages and disadvantages, but the idea remains fantastic that it would be possible to easily travel from Amsterdam to Paris within half an hour. What do you think? Is the hyperloop the future in the transport industry?
Hi!
The hyperloop is a very interesting topic. I truly believe that hyperloop will be the future. I expect it to be enrolled in Europe first. The Amsterdam-Berlin or Amsterdam-Paris are just so unnecessary. Even with todays train network those journeys are very doable. Combine this with the increased speed of hyperloop and it is definitely the best option. Therefore, I too expect hyperloop to be used for travel between the major cities in Europe. When the technology develops further and becomes cheaper shorter trips will be organised. For example, from Friesland to the Randstad in The Netherlands. I think this can be organised through a central leaving point (For example Leeuwarden or something) from which a hyperloop leaves to Amsterdam/Rotterdam. Potentially, intercontinal travel could be disrupted by hyperloop. I think it is very well possible to place these tubes on the bottom of the ocean and make travel between Europe and the US much better. However, I think that this option is to expensive in the coming years.
Hi there,
Great to see that you’re enthusiastic about the hyperloop! The same goes for me; I’ve invested (back in 2017) in Hardt Hyperloop, the Dutch Hyperloop company that has emerged from the TU Delft team that won Elon Musk’s 2016 Hyperloop Competition :-).
The Hyperloop offers shorter travel time & less (actually zero) CO2 emissions than current transportation means for comparable prices. Hyperloop realizes a world where distance doesn’t matter, where opportunities are open to everyone. (Citation from hardt.global)
Let’s address the disadvantages you mentioned. First of all, the suitability for shorter distances: for a country like the Netherlands, it would be fit for several routes like Amsterdam Groningen, reducing the travel time from 2,5 hr with the train to 45 minutes with a Hyperloop. However, the real advantages will be visible for routes across EU countries, slashing the travel time between Amsterdam and cities like Paris and Frankfurt in less than half, compared to current transportation means.
You might find it interesting to take a look at the following two recent studies, showing the feasibility of the Hyperloop (also addressing your worries about the costs – spoiler: they are competitive with current means of transportation):
https://issuu.com/hardthyperloop/docs/report_hyperloop_noord-holland_-_hardt
https://issuu.com/hardthyperloop/docs/hardt_schiphol_project_booklet_short__2___1_
By the way: I can’t see your name since your email address is your user account for some reason. You might find it useful to take a look at it. Anyway: connect me @ LinkedIn if you’d like to stay up to date about developments; I often share news about them :-).
Cheers,
Redeëet