The dream of seeing capsules zipping around inside depressurized capsules is wounded, but not dead. In the northern Netherlands, a Hyperloop test just marked a major milestone in the future of this means of transport.
One giant step for Hyperloop, one small step for mankind
In the quiet Dutch landscape of Veendam something interesting has taken shape (or resumed, if you prefer). Far from media hype and high-sounding promises, a team of engineers has continued to work to patiently assemble the future of transportation, piece by piece.
The latest Hyperloop test, conducted by the company Hardt, has shown that the vision of these ultra-fast trains is not ready to be put in the attic just yet. A capsule was levitated and moved through a depressurized tube, successfully combining levitation, guidance and propulsion. A perfectly synchronized technological orchestra.
From the Stars to the Stables… and Back
Marinus van der Meijs, technology director at Hardt, does not hide his enthusiasm: “Today, with the first successful Hyperloop test, we managed to levitate the vehicle, activate the guidance system and the propulsion system.” Words that sound like music to the ears of technology enthusiasts.
Of course, this Hyperloop test showed nothing of the legendary speed promised. The capsule reached the dizzying speed of… 30 km/h on a track just 420 meters long. A bit like celebrating the launch of a Ferrari that reaches 50 km/h. And yet, in this apparent paradox lies the true essence of innovation: small steps that pave the way for giant leaps. As someone once said: eppur si muove.
Why This Hyperloop Test Is Noteworthy
To explain it is Roel van de Pas, commercial director of Hardt Hyperloop, who puts it this way:
The hardest thing we are doing now is testing all these functions together. Levitation, propulsion, guidance, all these functions we are now able to execute as an orchestra, making them work together.
They have passed more than ten years since Elon Musk floated the idea of the Hyperloop, promising ground travel at the speed of airplanes. Since then, teams around the world have been working to turn this vision into reality. Progress has been slow, sometimes very slow. In one case (Hyperloop One in Dubai, announced with great fanfare in 2016) it deflated like a punctured balloon.
Van de Pas is optimistic, however: “At Hardt, we are ready for passenger operations by 2030.” A date that sounds both near and far away. In a world where infrastructure projects often take decades, seven years is almost the blink of an eye, especially when we consider the progress made by Hardt herself over the last 5 years.
Hyperloop Test: The Future Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Not everyone, of course, shares the enthusiasm of the Dutch technicians. Robert Noland, a professor at Rutgers University, considers the Hyperloop unfeasible, underlining the enormous infrastructure costs required.
Yet despite the obstacles and failures, the idea of the Hyperloop continues to endure and progress. After all, the future does not always arrive with a deafening bang. Sometimes, it approaches silently, levitating at 30 km/h in a tube in the north of the Netherlands.
