Future of transportation: Commuters can hop on to the airport hyperloop by 2030

How soon can a hyperloop line between the Kempegowda International Airport and the city centre be operationalised?

“We are looking at passenger operations by 2030,” says Virgin Hyperloop’s Director of Projects, India, Naushad Oomer.

Last fortnight, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Virgin Hyperloop had inked a deal to conduct a feasibility study for the KIA-city line.

With speeds of up to 1,080 kmph, the hyperloop could potentially transport thousands of passengers per hour from KIA to the city in under 10 minutes.

In an email interaction with DH, Oomer informs: “Now that the agreement is signed, we will begin the study, which will be executed in two phases of six months each. In terms of commercial projects, we are looking to have our system safety-certified by 2025, with passenger operations by 2030.”

The feasibility study, he says, will address the technical and economic feasibility of building hyperloop connectivity into the airport.

“If the study is found to present a foundational business case for the project while spurring socio-economic benefits for the region, then the project will progress into the next stages of assessment,” he elaborates.

On building a test loop within the KIA campus, Oomer says this will be explored in the feasibility study. “But the initial plan is to connect KIA to Bengaluru city and then onwards to another city in Karnataka. We also intend to explore the possibility of connecting it to other cities in the region.”

The Virgin Hyperloop System, he notes, is well suited for Indian conditions as it requires very little land compared to alternative modes. “It is enclosed (weather-proof and no at-grade crossings), making it safer than alternatives, and has a capacity suited to transport thousands of passengers per hour per direction.”

Will it be too expensive to take the hyperloop? “Due to the anticipated demand and throughput, the fares can be maintained at levels that are very competitive with already existing alternatives rendering it affordable to the public,” says Oomer.

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Mumbai-Pune in 25 min

Besides KIA, Virgin Hyperloop is also working with Maharashtra for a Mumbai-Pune hyperloop that can reduce travel time to 25 minutes, down from over 3.5 hours.

“The government has deemed hyperloop a public infrastructure project and approved the Virgin Hyperloop One-DP World (VH-DPW) Consortium as the Original Project Proponent (OPP),” a statement said.

Virgin had also inked a deal with the Punjab Transport Department in December 2019.