“3… 2… 1… Start!” The whir of the engines, the clacking of the rails, and then the release of the breaks. What follows is deafening cheers and applause. In May of 2016, Hyperloop One successfully publicly tested the first transport system that could run at the speed of sound, one that they called the hyperloop.
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Although it might not seem like much at a first glance, the amount of scientific and technological innovation behind this new potential mode of transportation is enormous. Hyperloops accelerate using the simple technology of linear electrical motors, and would operate in a near-vacuum tube, where it would levitate above the rails magnetically. The design and concept of a hyperloop was first introduced by Elon Musk, tech billionaire and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
Short of figuring out real teleportation, which would, of course, be awesome (someone please do this), the only option for super fast travel is to build a tube over or under the ground that contains a special environment. This is where things get tricky.
-Elon Musk, talking about the concept of a hyperloop in 2013
The hyperloop design has an incredible degree of potential in our futures as a fundamental(and of course, extremely fast) mode of transportation. It can go at speeds up to 1,300 km/h, which is incredibly fast. In comparison, an airplane only goes at around 900 km/h. This would mean that a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco, which normally would take 6 hours by car, would only take 35 minutes using a hyperloop.
Now here’s the exciting part. The Alberta provincial government is starting to consider proposals for a Calgary-Edmonton transport corridor in the future. Most of the current proposals are for high-speed rail systems, but the idea of using a hyperloop has been expressed by many, including Willem Klumpenhower, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Calgary. He thinks that if we are serious about a high-speed Calgary to Edmonton transport path, we should look at the hyperloop instead.
From a planning perspective and from a technology perspective – I don’t think it’s the stuff of science fiction anymore.
Although the hyperloop may only become a reality in quite a few years, that’s the same case with a high-speed railway in Alberta getting approved. So the timing may just be right for us to see a hyperloop in Alberta sometime in the near future.
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The problem is that none of the current methods of getting from Calgary to Edmonton are ideal: Flights are too costly, while car drives can be annoyingly long.
What does this mean for youth in Calgary? Well for one, all of us Calgary-Edmonton commuters would have a much more easily accessible way to move around the province. Hyperloops would be a time-saving, cost-efficient, and innovative solution that would benefit all Albertans. Everyone knows someone who works shifts up in Fort McMurray would know how much a fast mode of transportation between here and Edmonton would be beneficial, and it would certainly be practical. So the next time you hear about a hyperloop in a conversation, bring it up. It might just be an integral part of our futures.
Further Reading:
The Metro News: http://www.metronews.ca/news/calgary/2017/02/07/edmonton-calgary-corridor-perfect-distance-hyperloop-expert.html
Fortune Magazine: http://fortune.com/2017/02/09/new-hyperloop-company-arrivo/
Hyperloop One Official Website: https://hyperloop-one.com
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