As it stands now, it seems Virgin will build the world’s first large-scale hyperloop system in India. Earlier this month, the government of the Indian state of Maharashtra approved Virgin Hyperloop One’s plans to develop a high-speed line between Mumbai and Pune.
The planned hyperloop line will connect the two cities in western India, which are around 100 miles apart, in 35 minutes. This would be a drastic reduction in current travel times of three and a half hours by car.
Hyperloop technology was conceived by Musk in 2013. The systems would project pods at near-supersonic speeds through partially depressurized tubes. Proponents of the technology believe that it could be used to create a cleaner, high-speed public transport alternative to trains and planes. It’s safe to say we’ll be keeping an eye on the development of this hyperloop system in India.
This story was one of the best from 2019, and we are happy to include it in our “12 Days of Optimism” as we get ready to welcome 2020!