Hyperloop One, the only company in the world with a full-size hyperloop test track, is coming to Europe. On Tuesday, the company announced that it will continue its global tour with a stop in Amsterdam on June 6, a chance to detail a number of routes for the continent.
Elon Musk released his idea for a vacuum-sealed train system back in 2013, with theoretical top speeds of 700 miles per hour, but so far no publicly accessible hyperloop tracks exist. Hyperloop One is confident it will be the first to bring the system to life: it’s spent the past year working on the DevLoop test track in the Nevada desert, and it hopes to hold its first public demonstration (which it refers to as its “Kitty Hawk moment”) in the next month or so.
The company, which aims to bring three routes into service by 2021, is currently hosting its global challenge to find a route worth pursuing. The winner (or winners) will receive a feasibility study to bring their design to life. In January, the company announced 35 semifinalists, whittled down from an initial 2,600 entrants.
Hyperloop One has already held two showcase events to detail a selection of these 35 routes. At the February event in New Delhi, the company detailed five routes across India that could transform commerce and culture. At April’s Washington, D.C. event, Hyperloop One outlined 11 routes to link up major urban centers.
The 10 proposed routes for Europe are:
- Germany: Autobahn
- Estonia/Finland: Tallinn-Helsinki
- Spain: Madrid-Tangiers
- France: Corsica-Sardinia
- The Netherlands: Dutch Loop
- Poland: Warsaw-Wroclaw
- United Kingdom: Glasgow-Cardiff
- United Kingdom: Liverpool-Hull
- United Kingdom: London-Edinburgh
- United Kingdom: Northern Arc
Like in Delhi and Washington, D.C., the Amsterdam event will give Hyperloop One the chance to give more detail about each of these. The company will also likely explain the rationale behind each of these designs, showing why a local municipality would care about being able to travel at such fast speeds.
The event will take place at Amsterdam’s Tobacco Theater. A keynote speech will be given by Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Dutch minister of infrastructure and environment. There will also be presentations from three company executives: CEO Rob Lloyd, president of engineering Josh Giegl, and VP of worldwide business development Dr. Alan James.
There will also be a panel discussion featuring three big names in transport: London’s former deputy mayor of transport Isabel Dedring, Norton Rose Fulbright partner Chris Brown, and CEO of Finland Chamber of Commerce Risto Penttila.
