New Delhi (Sputnik) — The Bullet Train can wait, it seems. India has evinced keen interest in US-based Hyperloop One's super-fast transportation solution with India's Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu terming the Hyperloop technology "very exciting". Hyperloop uses magnetic levitation in low-pressure tubes to transport people and goods at speeds close to 1000 kmph. A thousand!
The proposal is for Hyperloop One to partially build and operate the system between metro cities like Delhi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Chennai.
India, vote for your fav route from 1 of our proposed 5. Now traveling doesn’t need to take days! #VisionForIndia https://t.co/TGd8IxVsKh pic.twitter.com/L7h5DPy21j
— HyperloopOne (@HyperloopOne) February 28, 2017
"We are keenly watching new developments which can be implemented here, and want to build technologies in India, rather than importing them. I would like to congratulate Hyperloop One on this initiative, as it is very interesting to see that they can make long distance travel possible in very little time. We will be keenly monitoring their progress going forward," Prabhu said.
Good interaction w/ the @HyperloopOne guys in Delhi! This seems to be a revolutionary tech for transforming transportation. Best!
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) February 28, 2017
The Indian government has planned to spend $59 billion to transform its transportation and create jobs for the 1.3 million workforce that enters the economy every year.
"India needs technology to disrupt transportation which can provide solutions to move a large number of people in these urban centres. We are willing to facilitate such a catalyst and are happy to work in partnership with Hyperloop One to leapfrog the country. The future for Hyperloop One belongs in India," Amitabh Kant, CEO of government's policy making body NITI Aayog said.
Hyperloop will glide silently for miles at speeds of up to 620 mph (1,000 km/h) with no turbulence. With Founder @ShervinPishevar pic.twitter.com/KDtcfqXkzK
— Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) February 27, 2017
The Hyperloop concept is based on an idea by US billionaire Elon Musk, which was first proposed in 2013. The technology is under development and would use magnetic levitation in low-pressure tubes to transport people and goods at speeds close to 1000 kmph. Hyperloop One had demonstrated propulsion motor in May 2016 and it claims that world's first full-system test would be run in 2017 in Nevada.
As for the bullet train, India is expected to start ground work of the first project with Japanese participation next year.
