Journalism of Courage
The Maharashtra Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop project which aims to shorten the journey between the two cities to a mere 23 minutes.
The Cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who said the project would be carried out in two phases and completed in six-eight years.
A Hyperloop is a high-speed mode of transportation, where a pod-like vehicle travels through a tube at near the speed of an airline. If the plan works out, people will be able to travel from Pune to Mumbai in 23 minutes.
In September 2018, the PMRDA had submitted a proposal to the Maharashtra Infrastructure Development Enabling Authority, seeking to allot part of the Hyperloop project work to interested private players, using the Swiss Challenge Method.
The project will begin with a six-month feasibility study and setting up of a 10-km demonstration track, which will start from Hinjewadi. Operations on this track are expected to begin by 2021.
In February, the Cabinet had cleared the Maharashtra Infrastructure Development Enabling Authority Act, which acts as a framework to allow infrastructure proposals to be allotted to private players using the Swiss Challenge Method.
