Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority has signed an agreement with Hyperloop One to explore travel between Dubai and Abu Dhabi so, in about five years, you might be using a levitating pod travelling at 1,200 km/h to reach Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes.
Director General & Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, H.E. Matter Al Tayer, commented on the agreement, saying, “In line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai – RTA is collaborating closely with Dubai Future Accelerators to support innovative solutions for the future of mobility.
“This is an opportunity to help transform the UAE from a technology consumer to a technology creator, incubating expertise for a new global industry, in line with the UAE’s Vision 2021. With Hyperloop One, we will create a new means of transportation, keeping our region at the forefront of transportation technology and innovation.”
Rob Lloyd, CEO of Hyperloop One said, “We are now at a stage where, from a technological point of view, we could have a Hyperloop One system built in the UAE in the next five years. Our agreement with the RTA is the biggest step yet towards achieving this goal.”
Hyperloop is a low-pressure tube through which levitating pods can travel at up to 1,200 km/h with benefits such as higher standards of safety than a passenger jet, lower build and maintenance costs than high-speed rail, and energy usage, per person, that is similar to a bicycle.
The engineers, architects and designers from Hyperloop One and BIG have collaborated intensively for six months to produce a wholly original system design for Hyperloop travel. Today the company showcased the first-ever routes from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, several Hyperports (the equivalent of a station or airport) throughout Dubai, and the conceptual interiors and exteriors of the individual passenger pods. The work is based on a detailed study of how an urban and inter-city transport network should integrate with the existing infrastructure. It’s autonomous, point-to-point and vastly simplifies the experience of getting from your front door to your destination.
