India has taken a big step towards high-speed travel with the launch of its first hyperloop test track. This project, developed by IIT Madras with support from the Ministry of Railways, is a 422-meter-long track that could revolutionise transportation in the country.

With the hyperloop, people could travel 350 km in just 30 minutes. For example, a journey from Delhi to Jaipur, which is around 300 km, could take less than half an hour. This could make travel much faster and more efficient.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared this news on X (formerly Twitter) and said, "Government-academia collaboration is driving innovation in futuristic transportation."

Built at IIT Madras with government support

The hyperloop test track was built at the IIT Madras campus with funding from the Ministry of Railways. Excited about the progress, Minister Vaishnaw said, "The first pod of 422 meters will go a long way in developing technologies. I think the time has come when, after the first two grants of one million dollars each, the third grant of one million dollars will be given to IIT Madras for further developing the hyperloop project."

The railways are also planning to start their first commercial hyperloop project soon.

What is a hyperloop?

Hyperloop is called the ‘fifth mode of transport’ and is a very fast way to travel long distances. It allows special capsules, called pods, to move at high speeds inside vacuum tubes.

According to an official statement, "It involves an electromagnetically levitating pod within a vacuum tube, thus eliminating friction and air drag and potentially allowing the pod to reach speeds up to Mach 1.0." A Mach is around 761 miles per hour at sea level.

The statement also added that "Hyperloop will be marked by its immunity to weather, collision-free commute, which can move at twice the speed of a plane, with low power consumption and energy storage for 24-hour operations."

This project could change the way people travel in India, making trips much faster and more efficient in the future.

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