India’s first Hyperloop to connect Amravati and Vijayawada in 5 minutes commute

INDIA: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) today to connect the city centers of Amravati and Vijaywada- a distance of around 40 kilometers by road that takes generally more than one hour to commute during moderate traffic conditions.

The proposed route for the Hyperloop will potentially turn this trip of more than one hour into a 5-minute ride.

This is the first agreement of its kind in India for Hyperloop, which is a new mode of transportation that aims to eliminate the barriers of time and distance.

The high-speed transit system, first envisioned by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, hit 70 miles per hour in a vacuum, at the company’s Nevada testing facility this year. This test was part of a multi-phase program that will now target speeds of 250 mph and eventually transporting cargo and passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco at 700 mph.

“In partnering with Andhra Pradesh, HTT will work with local stakeholders to build the regulatory standards necessary for safe and efficient operation,” said Bibop Gresta, Chairman & Co-founder, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, who also took to Twitter to announce the development.

Fasten your seatbelt India.The journey into the future has just begun! @hyperloopglobal @narendramodi @NITIAayog @nitin_gadkari @ncbn

— Bibop G. Gresta (@BibopGGresta) September 6, 2017

The project is expected to create over 2,500 jobs in the state of Andhra Pradesh alone and will be done in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with funding primarily from private investors.

During Phase 1 of the project, HTT will conduct a six-month feasibility study commencing in October. HTT will analyze the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities while identifying all pertinent stakeholders in the region. After conducting the initial six-month feasibility study, Phase 2 of the project will construct and build HTT’s first Hyperloop in India.

Krishna Kishore, CEO, Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board said, "Major cities of the world has seen declines in livability and transportation has been a major contributor due to congestion, air pollution and accessibility and Andhra Pradesh is shaping the way it approaches transportation in the future. By collaborating with Hyperloop, Amravati is embracing a prototype for the mobility of tomorrow."

Aviruk Chakraborty, advisor to the Economic Development Board, says, "Climate change is an inevitable reality, human race has to embrace technology that will stabilize green house. India has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases, reaffirming its stand on climate action. The step towards implementing the Hyperloop is India’s commitment to Kyoto Protocol.”