Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to develop a Hyperloop transportation route between the cities of Amaravati and Vijaywada, the company announced today. The route will reduce a one-hour trip to as little as just six minutes, if successful, and will employ a public private partnership model funded primarily from private sources to fund its construction.
This is the first agreement of its kind in India for a Hyperloop route, and HTT says it expects to generate 2,500 jobs during the project. The two-phase plan includes first conducting a feasibility study beginning in October, which is expected to last around six months, and then to follow that up with Phase 2, which will be the actual construction of the Hyperloop itself.
During that initial phase, HTT will work with private and public stakeholders to determine the best route to connect the two cities, while taking into account the position of surrounding cities and other considerations. The Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board will be helping HTT navigate regulatory requirements to make sure the project has official government approval as it moves forward.
The goal for the state in bringing in the Hyperloop is to help it establish itself and Amaravati as a technology and software hub, and to generally help improve standards of living in the area, according to a press release.
HTT announced in June that it had reached an agreement with a number of South Korean agencies and institutions to generate a Hyperloop transportation system in the country. Rival Hyperloop One has also recently made progress with its efforts, including successful high-speed testing of a full-size pod at its Nevada test track.
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