Virgin Hyperloop One signs MoU with Government of Maharashtra

Virgin Hyperloop One has announced its partnership with the Government of Maharashtra with an intent to conduct a preliminary study in the region.

The US-based company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to identify potential routes and analyze the high-level economic impact and technical viability of hyperloop transportation solutions in India.

Virgin Hyperloop One will work with its partners in the region and the PMRDA will help navigate the regulatory requirements and support the report with data. The preliminary study is intended to analyse the applicability and benefits of hyperloop technology, identify high priority routes within the State based on demand analysis and socio-economic benefits, and inform the Government of Maharashtra in any future decision to progress to the full project stage.

Virgin Hyperloop One will improve economic competitiveness, reduce congestion and emissions, and provide citizens with greater social and economic mobility.  As it is the only company in the world that has built and successfully tested a full-scale hyperloop system, there is a growing demand for a hyperloop from governments and the private sectors around the world. Apart from India, Virgin Hyperloop One is working on projects in countries like the UAE, U.S., Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands.

“A hyperloop route requires high-density traffic to become viable as a means of rapid public transit. Mumbai and Pune, the most and seventh most populous cities in India respectively, have the potential to provide an optimal route with a high density,” said Devendra Fadnavis, CM of Maharashtra, “By reducing travel time to under 20 minutes, a hyperloop route will help intensify the connectivity between the metropolitan regions of Pune and Mumbai, transforming the two cities into India’s first and largest Megapolis.”

Looking at the present traffic scenario in Mumbai, Virgin Hyperloop One can reinvent and transform transportation in Maharashtra as it redefines speed with minimal time consumption. A hyperloop solution could revolutionize the transport experience. For example:

* It would take just 14-minutes to travel between Mumbai and the fast-growing city of Pune, a journey that currently takes up to 3 hours by car.
* It could also streamline airport connectivity, such as connecting Pune’s new Purandar Airport to the city center or Navi Mumbai International Airport to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
* It could look at connecting Nagpur, which is in the easternmost part of Maharashtra, with Mumbai and Pune to vastly improve passenger and freight transportation.