Mumbai: According to new reports, Sir Richard Branson is set to bring a hyperloop transport system to India.
Branson’s Virgin Hyperloop One will test its technology in the country over the next few years before launching a commercial system by 2021 and will ferry passengers from Pune’s city centre to Navi Mumbai International Airport in 25 minutes.
This will decrease journey time by three hours for travelers.
Once complete, the Hyperloop will make 150 million passenger trips every year.
Theoretically, the system could reach speeds of up to 1,078 kilometer per hour with no turbulence.
The deal between Virgin Hyperloop One and Indian state of Maharashtra was announced on Sunday.
Construction will begin with an operational demonstration track which will be finished in two to three years and this will serve as a platform for testing, certifying, and regulating the system for commercial operations.
The second phase will target the complete construction of the full Pune-Mumbai route in five to seven years.
The deal was signed as part of Branson's visit to the Magnetic Maharashtra Convergence 2018 in Mumbai.
The firm is working toward a goal of three production systems in service by 2021, according to its website.
According to Virgin Hyperloop One, the new proposed route in India will save more than 90 million hours of travel time, and provide citizens with greater opportunities for social and economic mobility, the firm said.
The route could lead to USD 55 billion (Euro 39.2 billion) in socio-economic benefits over 30 years of operation, according to an initial pre-feasibility study by Virgin Hyperloop One.
Future projects could also extend the route to link central Pune with the New Pune International Airport and Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai with Pune's industrial economic zones.
