India has taken a big step toward high-speed travel with its first-ever hyperloop test track at IIT Madras. This special track, 422 meters long, is designed to test trains that move through a near-vacuum tube at speeds over 1,000 km/h. The project is supported by the Ministry of Railways.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the news on social media, highlighting how the partnership between the government and IIT Madras is pushing India forward in futuristic transportation.
Delhi to Jaipur in Just Half an Hour?
Early tests on this hyperloop track suggest that a distance of 350 km can be covered in just 30 minutes. This means if the technology is fully developed and expanded, a journey from Delhi to Jaipur (about 300 km) could take less than 30 minutes!
Vaishnaw called this 422-meter test pod a starting point for developing advanced transport systems. He also announced that IIT Madras will receive another $1 million grant, after two previous grants of the same amount, to continue its work on hyperloop research.
What Is a Hyperloop?
A Hyperloop is a new and super-fast way to travel between two places. Imagine a special pod that floats inside a long tunnel. This tunnel has almost no air inside, like a vacuum.
Normally, when a train or plane moves, the air around it slows it down. But inside the Hyperloop, there is no wind or air resistance, so the pod can travel really fast, up to 1,000 km per hour! Unlike regular trains, these pods don’t run on tracks, making the journey even smoother and quicker.
What’s Next?
Once the technology is fully tested and ready, Indian Railways will launch its first commercial hyperloop project. They plan to choose a 4,050 km route for commercial freight transport, making goods transportation much faster.
The hyperloop system will use electromagnetic levitation, allowing trains to float above the track. Since there’s no friction or air resistance, these trains can reach near-supersonic speeds, almost as fast as the speed of sound (1,224 km/h).
With this development, India is getting closer to revolutionizing travel, making journeys faster, smoother, and more efficient.
