A transport startup backed by Richard Branson has inked a deal to build a Hyperloop system between the Indian cities Mumbai and Pune. It’s unclear, though, if the technology addresses India’s infrastructure bottlenecks.
Virgin Hyperloop One, a Los Angeles-based transportation company, on Sunday signed a framework agreement with the western Indian state of Maharashtra to construct a super-fast Hyperloop transportation system connecting the cities Mumbai and Pune.
The proposed system would reduce travel time between the two cities to just 25 minutes from the three hours at present, the company said, adding that it would benefit 26 million people and ease the burden on local trains. Key details such as the total cost of the project and an exact timeline of launch are yet to be revealed.
Hyperloop One is backed by UK business tycoon Richard Branson, who serves as chairman of the firm. Following the inking of the deal, Branson released a statement saying the project in India would “help create a thriving, competitive megaregion.”
“I believe Virgin Hyperloop One could have the same impact upon India in the 21st century as trains did in the 20th century,” he wrote.
Branson said a Hyperloop demonstration track would be built within two to three years of the final agreement, and the project in Maharashtra would take a further five to seven years to complete. He also touted that it could result in socio-economic benefits worth billions of dollars and tens of thousands of new jobs as well as increased investment to the region.
Maharashtra, though, is not the first Indian state to embark on such a project. Last year, the government of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh joined hands with US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) to introduce the system in the state capital region, Amaravati. If everything goes according to plan, this will be the first Hyperloop project to be implemented in the country.
Overhauling infrastructure
The foundation stone for the transport system was laid by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during an ongoing global investor summit in the state.
Since taking office in 2014, Modi’s government has repeatedly vowed to modernize the country’s vastly outdated and crumbling infrastructure. The government says it is investing $137 billion (€115 billion) over five years to renovate the crumbling network.
For more read the full of article at The DW
