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As we are stuck in our homes due to Coronavirus, waiting to travel, transportation plans are paving way for futuristic travels. A new proposal to construct a super-fast train will enable commuters to travel from Amsterdam to Paris in less than 90 minutes. By Upasana Singh
Beginning of this month, a Dutch technology startup, Hardt Hyperloop carried out a study in collaboration with the province of North Holland. The results of the study revealed that a Hyperloop network will reduce the time to travel from Amsterdam to Paris. With commuting times from European cities lowered from hours to minutes, borders would, quite literally, become blurred.
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Hyperloop, levitating above a magnetic track, is a transport mode with a sleek, pod-like capsule, propelled by a low-pressure steel tube, travelling at the speed of 965 km every hour. It would be electric-powered and made from aluminium and carbon fibre. Plans are being drawn up to connect Amsterdam with other European cities through this futuristic high-speed mode of travel. The economic growth of 121 per cent has been predicted for North-Holland. Along with strengthening the economic condition of the province, the network will also enhance business travel.
As per an official report, Hyperloop can carry up to 2,00,000 passengers every hour. Travellers can reach Paris in just 90 minutes, rather than the usual three and a half hours. A ride from Amsterdam to Brussels would be completed under 30 minutes.
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The company is partnering with Tata Steel on the project. Currently, Europe’s first high-speed test facility is being built in the Dutch province of Groningen, with a three km test track. Although developments are being made in the project, it is still being ascertained whether the passenger-carrying-pods are suitable for all ages. It might also take time to figure out how the pods will change routes by switching lanes without reducing speed.
This transportation system that appears like bullet trains, but is far more advanced, may take a couple of years before it is officially launched. Needless to say, the future of travel may find new meaning with the hyperloop that is swifter than trains, safer than cars, and way more environment-friendly than any other means.
Related: T+L India’s A-List Member Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi Revisits His Past Travels During Lockdown
