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Pune-Mumbai hyperloop project: Former CM Prithviraj Chavan, Ajit Pawar raise questions
Chavan said, “There are many doubts about hyperloop. I have an engineering background and hence have some doubts. The terrain between Lonavala and Khadala is much deep. The question remains how the hyperloop would cross this ghat section. Also, this is the first hyperloop project in the world to be used by humans for commuting.”
Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra’s former chief minister, has opposed the hyperloop project proposed between Pune and Mumbai.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday made a Rs55 crore budgetary provision for executing the project while approving the Rs1,722 crore budget of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority for the financial year 2019-20.
Chavan said, “There are many doubts about hyperloop. I have an engineering background and hence have some doubts. The terrain between Lonavala and Khadala is much deep. The question remains how the hyperloop would cross this ghat section. Also, this is the first hyperloop project in the world to be used by humans for commuting.”
Chavan said that the Maharashtra government is unnecessarily hurrying the project. It is a new technology that is not used anywhere and the main promoter of the hyperloop concept is also not with the company.
The former CM said that the state government should not clear the plan without clarifying the doubts. It is true that the said company has promised to do pilot 15 Km track for free. Once the pilot track had been carried out, it would become an obligation to complete the whole track and there are many doubts about it. The project also faces alignment, route and land acquisition issues, said Chavan.
Ajit Pawar, former deputy chief minister, has also raised objections on the hyperloop project and land acquisition issue related to the plan. With farmers not willing to give land for the project, Pawar objected to the project while addressing a public rally at Pimpri-Chinchwad recently.
A Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader while speaking to the media in the city had said that there is no need of such a project in the state.
What is Hyperloop Project?
Virgin Hyperloop One will provide 100 per cent investment (₹3,000 crore) for a 15-km-long hyperloop demonstration track, planned as a precursor to the ambitious Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop commute project.
The company will make a hundred per cent investment and the state government will provide the land for the project. The estimated cost for the demonstration track will be around ₹3,000 crore. The PMRDA already started the process for land acquisition for this project and even called suggestions and objections for this project.
Future of transportation
- Hyperloop is high-speed travelling in tubes, where a pod-like vehicle travels through a tube at a speed which is more than the usual airline speed.
- The Maharashtra government is exploring the transportation technology (hyperloop) for the Pune-Mumbai route with an aim to reduce the travel time to just 25 minutes each way
-According to a statement from the CMO, so far, Virgin Hyperloop One has completed the pre-feasibility study for the Pune-Mumbai route
- The hyperloop, with a speed of 350 kmph, will be able to move 10,000 passengers an hour and 150 million passengers a year once fully operational, said the Virgin Group Founder and Virgin Hyperloop One chairman
- It is capable of reaching speeds up to 1,000 kmph and will also connect the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports.
