Andhra Pradesh government seeks to extend hyperloop transportation system to Visakhapatnam, Anantapur

CRDA has asked the US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) to prepare a pre-feasibility report to extend the facility to Anantapur and Visakhapatnam as well.
Image used for representational purpose only.
Image used for representational purpose only.

VIJAYAWADA: The state government, which has planned for a hyperloop transportation system between Vijayawada and Amaravati, wants to extend it to other cities as well. In this regard, the AP Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) has asked the US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) to prepare a pre-feasibility report to extend the facility to Anantapur and Visakhapatnam as well.

In a meeting with the CRDA’s principal secretary Ajay Jain and commissioner Cherukuri Sreedhar, the co-founder and chairman of the HTT, Bibop G Gresta, proposed that a ‘demonstrator prototype’ would be implemented in Amaravati. The prototype would be developed for a length of 5-10 kms. “After creating the prototype, the HTT will coordinate with authorities and partners to create strategies for implementing the remaining phases of the corridor,” Gresta said.

According to the HTT representatives, a corridor of 900 km connecting Anantapur, Amaravati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam could be developed in the state.“The prototype would help authorities evaluate the benefits of the HTT system in a relatively short time period while enabling decision makers to explore the possibility of extending the same system across the entire route,” the HTT representatives explained.

They further explained that HTT would help in significantly cutting down the time of travel. “Also, it is cost effective than high speed and metro rail projects. While the per kilometre cost of establishment of metro rail and high speed rail cost USD 120 million and USD 40-150 million, the HTT system would cost USD 20-40 million only,” they said. The pods of the HTT will have a radius of 2.7 metres and 30 metres of length. It will travel at a speed of 1,223 kmph.

To the proposals made, Ajay Jain asked the HTT representatives to submit a feasibility report. “After thoroughly examining the report, the state government would take a decision,” he observed.
Fast commute

Hyperloop Transporation Technlogies’ pods will have a radius of 2.7 metres and 30 metres of length, which will travel at a speed of 1,223 kmph.

Proposed project phases
Phase I - A 5-10 km HyperloopTT system ‘demonstrator prototype’
Phase II - A commercial HyperloopTT system between Amaravati and Vijayawada (incorporating the development corridor used in the demonstrator prototype from Phase I).
Phase III - A commercial HyperloopTT system extension covering the northeastern and/or southwestern sections of the planned corridor connecting Anantapur, Amaravati, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam (the corridors from Phases I and II will be part of the Phase III corridor).

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