Hyperloop One has revealed ten potential sites for its first experimental Hyperloop. If successful, the company would mark a major step toward revolutionizing transportation with tubes hurling passengers from one city to the next at speeds of up to 670 mph.
After fielding over 2,600 proposals from around the world, Hyperloop One’s list of finalists includes intercity lines in Canada, India, Mexico, the U.K., and the U.S.
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The American finalists are:
- Dallas to Houston, which would include a line to Laredo on the Mexican border
- Chicago to Columbus, Ohio, to Pittsburgh
- Miami to Orlando
- Cheyenne to Denver to Pueblo, Colorado
In determining which finalist to select, Hyperloop One plans on doing some serious homework to establish a business case for each route, including determining projected demand and costs.
Hyperloop One concept drawing
The concept of a Hyperloop involves using depressurized tubes, through which pods are propelled using magnetic levitation, the same basic technology used to propel maglev trains. Hyperloop One intends to build Hyperloops to transport both people and cargo, and aims to have its first operational system up and running by 2021.
While the company is just beginning the final phase of the selection process for its first site, it earlier announced a formal partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study on the proposed Cheyenne-Denver-Pueblo route.
For the cities that aren’t selected, Hyperloop One has pledged its continued support and resources in the drive to make the plan commercially viable.
Although the hyperloop concept has been pushed by Tesla chief Elon Musk, he is not involved in Hyperloop One's efforts.
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