Transport Canada is funding a study to see if it is feasible to build an electric tunnel to take passengers from Toronto to Montreal on speedy hyperloop train in just 45 minutes.
The Hyperloop is a new intercity transportation concept. Promoters are engineering the design to provide travellers with a travel mode featuring very high speeds, fixed guideways above and below ground, and capsule like vehicles called pods propelled within a network of looped sealed partial-vacuum tubes.
Government agency said that they are looking to hire subject matter experts to analyze the project and see if it feasible to execute.
According to the government’s RFP document, Transport Canada requires “services of a transportation engineering consulting firm so that the Department can be better informed on the technical, operational, economic, safety, and regulatory aspects of the Hyperloop and understand its construction requirements and commercial feasibility.”
Elon Mask has originally introduced the technology to the market in 2016. Companies like Transpod, Canadian company manufacturing ultra-high-speed transportation, as well as Richard Branson’s Virgin Hyperloop One have popped up claiming that their hyperloop trains can reach speeds of up to 1,000 km/hour.
Many so called experts debate the pros and cons of the hyperloop system. Some key points are below (as taken from FutureforAll.org website).
Pros of Hyperloop Train
- Fast, efficient and cheap to operate
- Average speeds of around 600 mph (970 km/h), with a top speed of 760 mph (1,200 km/h)
- Low power consumption
- Uses Solar Energy for power
- Open-sourced, encouraging others to take the ideas and further develop them.
- Hyperloops tubes are protected from the weather, birds, objects on railroad tracks.
- In the event of equipment or electrical failure, the system comes to a stop (does not fall from the sky).
- Automation reduces the risk of human error
- Promotes economic growth around the Hyperloop route
- Reduced freight costs and times
Cons of Hyperloop Train
- High cost of development and construction
- Susceptible to disruption from earthquakes, power outages or terror attacks
- No sharp curves or abrupt height changes in the route
- Potential for rapid decompression of the tube or passenger space
- Vibration and jostling caused by high speeds
- People will not be able to move freely during travel (no bathroom?)
- Unproven system
While we wait for the study to be completed, Transpod claims that they will sell tickets for as low as $80 one way trip between Toronto and Montreal and get you there in just 45 minutes. Wish we could get there as fast when travel from Mississauga to Toronto downtown on a busy morning commute.
