Virgin has revealed its Hyperloop One business will build one of its systems in India, linking the cities of Pune and Mumbai via a high-speed rail network.
The British conglomerate’s owner Richard Branson signed a preliminary agreement for a broad hyperloop framework in Mumbai, which will pave the way for the construction of a demonstration track within three years.
Construction of the full route will subsequently be completed in five to seven years.
“I believe Virgin Hyperloop One could have the same impact upon India in the 21st century as trains in the 20th century,” said Branson.
“The Pune-Mumbai route is an ideal first corridor as part of a national hyperloop network,” he added.
Once completed, the 240 miles per hour train will connect Pune to Mumbai’s new Navi Mumbai International Airport, with the journey time between the two cities expected to be reduced by three hours.
The transport system uses magnetic levitation in low pressure tubes for high-speed transportation, and could bring up to US$55 billion in socio-economic benefits to India over 30 years, according to a recent study by Virgin Hyperloop One.
New @Virgin @HyperloopOne in India could connect 26 million people, support 150 million passenger trips per year & help create a thriving, competitive megaregion https://t.co/IkYbfIs2yi pic.twitter.com/nCIoUbtDpF
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) February 19, 2018
