IIT Madras Unveils India’s First Hyperloop Test Track with Railways’ Support

Chennai- IIT Madras, in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, has developed India’s first hyperloop test track, spanning 422 meters. The breakthrough project aims to revolutionize high-speed travel, enabling journeys like Delhi to Jaipur (approximately 300 km) in under 30 minutes once fully operational.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the milestone on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Government-academia collaboration is driving innovation in futuristic transportation.” The hyperloop test facility, funded by the Ministry of Railways, has been set up on the IIT Madras campus.

Expressing optimism, Vaishnaw announced, “The first pod of 422 meters will go a long way in developing technologies. After two grants of $1 million each, the third grant of $1 million will be given to IIT Madras for further development of the hyperloop project.”

The Railways plans to undertake the first commercial project soon. Hyperloop, often referred to as the “fifth mode of transport,” is a high-speed system where magnetically levitated pods travel through vacuum tubes, eliminating friction and air drag. According to an official release, the system could potentially reach speeds of up to Mach 1.0 (approximately 761 mph at sea level).

The hyperloop promises an all-weather, collision-free, energy-efficient mode of transport that could move at twice the speed of airplanes. With its low power consumption and 24-hour operational feasibility, the project is set to transform the future of transportation in India.