Toronto to Montreal in one HOUR: Canadian startup unveils plans to build a hyperloop-style vacuum train that can carry passengers at 1000 km/h – and claims it will be 44% cheaper than a plane ticket
An 800-kilometre journey from Toronto to Montreal could soon be an easy journey as a startup unveils plans for a bullet-proof flying train.
TransPod, a startup based in Toronto, says its hyperloop-style vacuum train can transport passengers at speeds of 1,000 km/h.
The 'FluxJet' trains will float through vacuum tubes and be powered by plasma to move as fast as a commercial airliner at cruising speed.
And the company says it has the technology to make this a reality before 2035.
The company is already developing a 300 km ($18 billion) line between the major Canadian cities of Edmonton and Calgary.
TransPod, a Canadian startup, has announced plans to build a vacuum hyperloop train that could run between Toronto and Montreal in an hour
Ryan Janzen, inventor of the TransPod system, says the vehicle is “built like an airplane, but functions like a train.”
Designed like an airplane without wings, the FluxJet vehicle is designed to 'fly' at high speeds.
Each vehicle is much smaller than a conventional train, closer in size to a single rail car, and can carry 54 passengers or 10 tons of freight.
Although capacity is low, TransPod claims it will address this by launching multiple vehicles at the same time.
The company says using the hyperloop will be 44 percent cheaper than flying by plane and will reduce CO2 emissions by about 636,000 tons per year.
The system sends magnetically levitated trains through vacuum tubes to reduce friction, as shown in this artist's rendering
The company plans to build a vacuum hyperloop from Edmonton to Calgary with a stop in Red Deer. They estimate this will cost almost £18 billion.
To reduce friction as much as possible, the vehicle floats above rails in a vacuum tube.
A series of strong magnets along the top of the vehicle pull up toward the steel tube, while magnets along the bottom push up.
FluxJet then uses electromagnets to push the train to speed up or slow down.
This means that there is very little friction or air resistance affecting the train, allowing it to travel at very high speeds.
'You don't want to touch anything. Because everything wears out at high speed,” said Mr. Janzen says in an interview with CBC.
TransPod joins a number of other companies that have invested in the development of vacuum hyperloop systems.
The first hyperloop model was proposed by Elon Musk in 2013 with the suggestion that it could transport passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
However, Hyperloop One, which aimed to commercialize Musk's system, collapsed late last year.
Despite the support of Sir Richard Branson, the company announced it would lay off all its employees and sell its assets.
The company says its trains can reach speeds of 1,000 km/h, as fast as a commercial airliner
TransPod is currently developing a 300 kilometer route to connect the major Canadian cities of Edmonton and Calgary, as shown in this rendering
Magnetic levitation trains, or Maglev trains, are already operational in South Korea, China and Japan.
These trains are among the fastest in the world, with the fastest trains between Shanghai and Beijing reaching a speed of 600 km/h.
However, if successful, the FluxJet hyperloop system could reach speeds nearly twice as fast.
TransPod says it's its contactless energy system that allows it to move so quickly.
The vehicle uses a plasma arc to transfer power from the rails to the vehicle, without any contact between the two.
Mr Janzen describes this as 'virtual wires' that enable wireless power transfer.
A series of sensors and motors within the train itself continuously make adjustments to keep the power system within range for charging.
Mr Janzen says this uses 'some very fancy control systems and physics' to keep friction to an absolute minimum.
The technology is currently in the testing phase, but TransPod says it will be operational sometime before 2035
The technology is still in the testing phase, but Mr. Janzen says it could enable high-speed traffic between major Canadian cities by 2035.
In 2022, TransPod successfully demonstrated a third-scale prototype that levitated and moved a nearly one-ton vehicle.
The company has also started construction of a half-scale test track in Droux, France, which will be able to reach speeds of 370 miles per hour (600 km/h).
Once testing is complete, the next step is to start work on a fully operational line in Edmonton, Canada.
TransPod has already received $550m (£432m) in investment to build an airport rail link, but the final 300km rail line is expected to cost £17.7bn.
The company is not receiving any funding from the Canadian government for this project and plans to finance it privately.
The ultimate goal is to connect the transportation corridor between Quebec City and Chicago, with stops in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Detroit.
WHAT IS THE HYPERLOOP?
Hyperloop is a proposed travel method that could transport people between distant locations at a speed of approximately 700 miles per hour.
It was unveiled in 2013 by Elon Musk, who said at the time that it could take passengers the 380 miles (610 km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes – half the time it takes an airplane.
It is essentially a long tube from which the air has been removed to create a vacuum. For safety reasons, Hyperloop tunnels require escape hatches in case of fire.
The pipe hangs above the ground to protect against weather influences and earthquakes.
There are now a number of companies vying to bring the technology to life, including Elon Musk himself, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies and Virgin Hyperloop One.
As several companies compete to create the first operational Hyperloop, Elon Musk's vision of a radical transportation system that can carry passengers over land at speeds of 750 miles per hour continues to inch closer to reality.