Bengaluru airport to city centre in 10 minutes! Virgin Hyperloop to do feasibility study

India's IT hub, the city of Bengaluru may soon get its own hyperloop network as a future mode of mobility. This will help the people of Bengaluru to save a lot of the time that goes to travel in one of India's most congested cities.

In 2019, a commuter spent an additional 243 hours in traffic while driving during peak hours in Bengaluru according to a report.

A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed between Virgin Hyperloop and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed Hyperloop corridor from Bengaluru Airport.

The pre-feasibility study, which focuses on technical, economic and route feasibility, is expected to be completed in 2 phases of six months each. With speeds of up to 1,080 kmph, hyperloop could transport thousands of passengers per hour from Bengaluru Airport to the city center in under 10 minutes, according to the preliminary analysis.

Bengaluru airport is the busiest airport in South India and also the third largest in the country.

Passengers travelling to the Bengaluru airport could streamline their multimodal trip with seamless check in and security – for both their hyperloop as well as air travel at centrally-located hyperloop portals which will help in reducing the overall travel time.

In addition to the road network, the airport will also be connected with the sub-urban



railway soon and will have Metro connectivity in four years.

"The Government of Karnataka has implemented several measures to improve the transport infrastructure of the State. The commissioning of a feasibility study for hyperloop connectivity from BLR Airport is another major step towards building the infrastructure required to define mobility for the future, enabling the efficient movement of people," said Mr. TM Vijay Bhaskar, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka and Chairman of the Board of Directors, BIAL.

“As India’s hub for technology and innovation, Karnataka is embracing hyperloop as a way to keep pace, support clean growth, and open new opportunities for the city," said Mr. Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop. “A hyperloop-enabled airport would not only allow for faster travel times, it would create a 21st century passenger experience and expand airport capacity."

“At BIAL, our vision is to make BLR Airport the new gateway to India by transforming it as a transportation hub. We are excited to take this landmark step which can catalyse the economic growth of the state of Karnataka and the region. Technological innovation is key to building and sustaining world-class transportation hub, and this study is an important step forward. This mode of transportation offers enormous economic potential, connecting passengers at unprecedented speeds, with zero emissions," said Mr. Hari Marar, MD & CEO, BIAL.