35 Potential Hyperloop Routes Outlined

There are now 35 potential locations for a Hyperloop line thanks to Hyperloop One’s Global Challenge contest.

The Los Angeles-based company has narrowed down the entries in the contest to 35, Techno Buffalo reported. The winner of the contest would be the second route; after the one Hyperloop One plans to build in the United Arab Emirates. Government agencies and community groups all over the world competed in the contest.

Interest was strong in Europe, North America, and India but there were a few entries from Latin America. The most entries were from the United States but India was a close second.

Where the Hyperloop Might Go

Some of the most interesting proposals for a Hyperloop Line include:

• A connection between Denver International Airport (DIA) and Greeley, a small city in Northern Colorado, CBS 4 reported. Presumably that line which will be funded by the Colorado Department of Transportation will link DIA with Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins. There’s also project called Colorado Hyperloop that would connect Fort Collins with Pueblo.

• A connection between Spain’s capital; Madrid, and Tangier, Morocco. This would run under the Straights of Gibraltar.

 

• Routes in India that would connect Bangalore and Chennai, Mumbai and Chennai and Chennai and New Delhi.

 

• A route connecting Los Angeles with Ensenada, Mexico.

 

• A loop connecting all the cities in the Netherlands.

 

• A route connecting the French island of Corsica with the Italian island of Sardinia (this would also run under water).

• A loop connecting the main cities in Texas; Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth.

 

• A connection between Seattle and Portland in the Northwest that would also serve Vancouver, Washington, Olympia and Tacoma.

 

• Connections between Glasgow and Cardiff and London and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.

 

• A connection between Houston, Texas, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, that would be world’s longest line. It might also connect to San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver as well.

 

• A connection between Toronto and Montreal that would presumably serve Ottawa, Canada’s capitol.

• Lines running along Germany’s Autobahn superhighway system. This would be the largest system connecting every German city.

 

These are just a few of the semi-finalists there are a bunch more. The challenge received 2,600 entries so there’s obviously a lot of interest in Hyperloop out there. The semi-finalists will have to make their case to Hyperloop One’s executives at showcases in New Delhi on February 28, April 6 in Washington, D.C., and April 27 in London.

The participants will have to present maps, models, videos and other visual evidence to make their case so the showcases should be fun. An even greater challenge will be finding the money to fund Hyperloop.

The Hyperloop One team should invite President-Elect Trump to the Washington event. They’re going to need money and Trump has recommended spending $550 billion or more on infrastructure. At least it would attract some media attention to Hyperloop One because reporters follow Trump around mindlessly.