Punjab government is exploring the feasibility of connecting major towns in the state through Hyperloop, a futuristic transport system in which passenger pods zip through vacuum tubes at high speeds in the Amritsar–Ludhiana–Chandigarh–National Capital Region (NCR) corridor.
For the same, Punjab Government on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyperloop One to conduct a pre-feasibility economic study for the project, said the state Additional Chief Secretary (Investment Promotion) Vini Mahajan.
Los-Angeles based Virgin Hyperloop One is supported by Dubai-based DP World, its largest investor.
The MoU was signed by the state Principal Secretary (Transport) K Siva Prasad and Virgin Hyperloop One’s Managing Director - Middle East and India Harj Dhaliwal in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, and DP World Subcontinent CEO and Managing Director Rizwan Soomar.
Virgin Hyperloop One is also in discussions with Haryana Government for a separate MoU to evaluate the feasibility of a hyperloop system that could potentially extend the route from Punjab to the National Capital Region (NCR).
As per Virgin Hyperloop One’s initial estimates, a hyperloop transportation project, along the Amritsar-Ludhiana-Chandigarh corridor, could reduce travel time from five hours by road to less than 30 minutes.
“Punjab is very keen to be the second state in India after Maharashtra, to build a hyperloop system. Specifically, we would like to explore a hyperloop project through the state of Punjab, connecting with other metropolitan centres in the country. In future, this project could link beyond Punjab to connect to the NCR,” said Capt Amarinder.
Invest Punjab Advisor Moshe Kohli said that the hyperloop project pre-feasibility study will be completed within six weeks and it would evaluate several measures such as cost, demand, and socio-economic benefits of the corridor.
Dhaliwal said that there was tremendous economic potential in connecting some of Punjab’s biggest cities, such as Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Chandigarh, among others in northern India, with a hyperloop infrastructure project.