Imagine hopping a ride in Mumbai and reaching Pune in a matter of minutes, whereas a road journey would take at least 3 hours. The Maharashtra government gave its nod to VHO's hyperloop system in India, which is going to be world's first line, in August and here's another important milestone in VHO's journey that should be exciting for India.
Assessing safety standards
VHO announced that it will be working with Certifer, an independent third-party safety assessment firm, to validate VHO's readiness in terms of safety. Certifer will ensure that VHO adheres to all relevant transportation guidelines in its historic journey. Everything from system safety, hardware development, software development, civil and mechanical works, guideways, control command and signalling, to magnetic propulsion, will be vetted by Certifer assessors.
"Partnering with Virgin Hyperloop One is a big milestone in Certifer's history and aligns with our mission to support clients exploring innovative solutions to set the future foundations of intelligent, reliable and safe transportation modes that will improve user experience. We are confident Virgin Hyperloop One can deliver on this technical challenge with a high level of safety," Certifer's CEO Pierre Kadziola, said in a statement.
As a result of this, VHO will be able to smoothly progress towards the development of its first hyperloop network without hitting any regulatory obstacles. Certifer will ensure VHO is in compliance with all regulatory guidelines of transport in different countries. Certifer's expertise in railway and urban transportation makes it the perfect candidate to steer the VHO project clear of any regulatory constraints.
What is hyperloop and how does it work?
Hyperloop transportation system is deemed as the future of transport, helping people move from one place to another in the quickest possible way. Hyperloop allows people to travel in capsules, which move at high speeds inside low-pressure tube propelled by electromagnetic motors.
To give people a better idea, Hyperloop, once functional, can travel at a record speed of up to 760mph (which is roughly about 1,220 kmph). In doing so, there is low energy consumed and does not get affected by weather and even earthquakes. This way, you don't have to deal with any delays. Moreover, there are zero direct emissions.
Other big names include Elon Musk's The Boring Company, which is working on a line between Washington DC and New York. Hardt Hyperloop is also working to connect Mexico City to Guadalajara. It's only a matter of time before we witness the transportation history takes a huge turn.
Hyperloop in India
The Mumbai-Pune hyperloop project puts India at the forefront of hyperloop infrastructure. Virgin Hyperloop One is one of the few companies that are invested in the future of transportation. VHO already has projects underway in India alongside other countries, including the U.S., UAE and KSA.
"This is history in the making," Walder said in August. "The race is on to host the first hyperloop transportation system in the world, and today's announcement puts India firmly in the lead.
VHO is working on an 11.8km demonstration track, and upon successfully completing this it will continue with phase 2 to build to 100km track connecting Mumbai and Pune. Once completed, people will be able to transit between Mumbai and Pune in less than 30 minutes.
