MUMBAI: Maharashtra has granted infrastructure project status for a $10 billion plan to establish the world’s first ultra-fast hyperloop project. The projects aims to link Mumbai with the neighboring city of Pune. Hyperloops use magnets to levitate pods inside an airless tube, creating conditions in which the pods can shuttle people and freight at speeds of up to 1,200 km per hour.
The status could help fast-track land acquisition for the project over a 117.5 km stretch that will shuttle people between the cities in about 35 minutes. According to the state government, “This project would mark the beginning of a new era in the country’s transport sector.”
The first phase of the plan includes an 11.8 km long track to be built in 2 years in Pune with an investment of Rs 50 billion.
According to the state government, the project is expected to cost around Rs 700 billion and it is still unclear how the project will be funded. The route from Mumbai to Pune is one of India’s busiest, with roughly 75 million passenger journeys each year.