Hyperloop in India, Saudi Arabia much sooner than you think
On the sidelines of the Dubai Expo 2020 that kicked off on October 1, Emirati multinational logistics company DP World's CEO and Virgin Hyperloop Chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, said that Hyperloop could become a reality in several parts of the world before this decade ends. He said the high-speed transportation system could first appear in India or Saudi Arabia, even before the UAE.
Hyperloop offers affordable, fast, friction-free conveyance for people and goods
In case you are not aware, Dubai Expo 2020 is a six-month-long world expo being hosted by Dubai this year from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. Hyperloop is described as an affordable mode of high-speed transportation. It works as a system of sealed tubes with low air pressure through which passenger and cargo pods may travel devoid of wind resistance and friction.
Hyperloop offers 'speed of an airplane, price of a truck'
Speaking on the time scales for the Virgin Hyperloop, Sulayem said, "I will see it either in India at first, or in Saudi Arabia at the moment." "Our hope is that when we achieve economies of scale and you have long routes and it is popular, probably for the speed of an airplane you will pay with the price of a truck," he added.
Sulayem's DP World holds majority stake in Virgin Hyperloop
Sulayem made the bold claim since DP World, the company he heads, holds a majority stake in Virgin Hyperloop. Interestingly, Virgin Hyperloop is possibly the most well-known of the several other players also developing hyperloop technology. In November last year, Virgin Hyperloop even tested human travel in a hyperloop pod for the first time. One such full-scale pod is on display at the Expo.
It's not decades, it's years: Sulayem
Earlier, DP World said Hyperloop can shrink inventory movement timescales, thereby reducing finished goods inventory and cutting required warehouse space and costs by 25%. Speaking to CNN at the Expo venue, Sulayem said, "It's not decades, it's years." Notably, in February 2018, Richard Branson—the then chairman of Virgin Hyperloop—announced plans for a Navi Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop system but the COVID-19 pandemic foiled those plans.
