Hyperloop One Reveals Its Plans For Europe …
Following its earlier city-level proposals competition in Europe, Hyperloop One has now revealed the candidate shortlist produced by that competition. The shortlist includes the proposals that were/are both economically and technically feasible.
So, what exactly are the potential Hyperloop routes included on the shortlist? There 3 situated in the UK — with one being a North-South route, one a pan-Northern route, and one being a Wales-Scotland route. There’s also a route covering much of Germany, and there are various shorter routes throughout the continent.
Notably, several of the routes would include water crossings — which could potentially result in some difficulties and/or higher development costs. I would guess, therefore, that such routes (the ones involving water crossings) won’t be amongst the ones that get developed in the short term — despite being on the short list. After all, why take unnecessary risks when deploying a new technology for the first time? It would seem far more prudent to select one of the relatively simple-to-develop routes as the starter.
Engadget provides a basic overview of the shortlist routes:
- Corsica–Sardinia — 451 km
- Estonia–Finland — 90 km
- Germany — 1,991 km
- Poland — 415 km
- Spain–Morocco — 629 km
- The Netherlands — 428 km
- UK North–South Connector — 666 km
- UK Northern Arc — 545 km
- UK Scotland–Wales — 1,060 km
There are certainly some interesting possibilities there. Personally, I’d be inclined (if I was a Hyperloop One exec) to focus on the routes most likely to attract the attention of business travelers — probably the only people who will be willing to pay the premium that Hyperloop travel will likely entail in exchange for a shorter travel time.
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