The national press, a cabinet minister and over one hundred attendees visited the revelation of a 30-metre-long steel pipe. “This is a first step into a new world of transportation.”
(Photo: Hardt Global Mobility)
The Green Village on the TU Delft campus now houses Europe’s first Hyperloop test site. The pipe, which is 30 meters long and has a diameter of 3.2 metres, allows teams to test their Hyperloop vehicles on magnetic levitation and security systems.
(Photo’s: JW)According to the HARDT CEO Tim Houter, this pipe is the beginning of a whole new transportation system which will connect Europe. “It will be faster than planes and cheaper than trains,” he told the audience. “Remember the Wright brothers started aviation with a jump of only 30 metres.” He predicted there will be a fully functional test facility by 2019 and a first Hyperloop route between two cities by 2021.
“This is the first step into a new world of transportation,” said BAM CEO Marinus Schimmel. The connection with HARDT brings innovation into the BAM infrastructure company. According to BAM, the Hyperloop infrastructure costs as much as a railroad and it requires the same amount of time to build.
TU Delft President Tim van der Hagen said to be proud of the Delft team winning the Hyperloop competition.The HARDT enterprise spawned from the winning team. Their goal to develop a high-speed transportation system has gained considerable support in a short time, said Van der Hagen.
Outgoing Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment Melanie Schultz-van Haegen wants to make the Netherlands the world’s smart mobility centre. The fast, quiet, clean and innovative Hyperloop fits well into that frame. She did encourage the team to remain in contact with their competitor, Hyperloop One, the Los Angeles team.
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