The Government of Canada has expressed interest in a futuristic transportation system that sounds like something straight out of science fiction.
Hyperloop technology is a transportation prototype that moves people and cargo at high speeds through a vacuum-sealed tube. Transport Canada will conduct a study on the new system to determine whether or not it is viable.
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The system uses magnetic levitation to lift up the pod of passengers and goods in the low-pressure tube and then uses electric propulsion to gradually accelerate. The pod “glides at airline speeds for long distances due to the ultra-low aerodynamic drag,” Hyperloop’s website explains.
It’s not teleporting, but sounds like the next best thing. Speeds can exceed 1,000 km/h, which means you could theoretically travel from Toronto to Vancouver within three hours, CBC News reports.
Additionally, travel from Toronto to Montreal could take 39 minutes, Toronto to Ottawa could take 27 minutes, and Ottawa to Montreal could take just 12 minutes.
Hyperloop technology was proposed by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, but is designed and manufactured by Toronto-based company TransPod. Hyperloop is still in development stages and has not yet been proven. However, Transport Canada noted in their request for proposal that there are a number of facilities around the world that can be used for testing.
The two key factors Transport Canada’s study will look into is safety and cost.
“The Hyperloop concept and evolving technology are very new and published information on the engineering details, performance issues, safety requirements, passenger ride quality, and capital and operating costs are limited,” they noted.
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The study will not only look into safety concerns, such as capsule capacity and emergency evacuations but also claims that Hyperloop is more economical than conventional High-Speed Rail systems or magnetic levitation technology.
