Planes, trains and automobiles have served us well, but in 2023 you better hold on to your hats! A first-of-its-kind project, the Alberta hyperloop has been in the works since 2020 and this week we got an update from the company behind the curtain.
Described as “an aircraft without wings,’ Canada-born company TransPod, hopes to revolutionize the way we travel between cities with its FluxJet – a system that could move from Calgary to Edmonton in 45 minutes.
At a speed of 1,000 km/hr, each Fluxjet pod can carry between 50 and 100 people and could run much like an LRT.
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With no windows (to reduce onboard sickness) and comfortable seats, guests can expect an experience not unlike taking a short flight. In fact, even the way that you’ll feel while taking off will feel similar.
While this sounds a whole lot like something out of a science fiction novel, TransPod is on its way to making the dream a reality, having recently announced that they managed to secure $550 million – but they’ve made some major moves over the last several months.
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As shared with Curiocity, more funding is expected to be locked in by this spring.
“We expect to do an announcement by the end of March or the beginning of April. This is to fully develop the technology,” Sebastien Gendron, the Co-Founder and CEO of TransPod told us.
“Then we’ll need to finalize the project financing for the infrastructure and get all the remaining authorization in order to start construction [of a 10/km test track] in Edmonton in 2024.”
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According to Gendron, the line will be built from the YEG airport to YYC with a stop in Red Deer which is great news for those who live and work between the major cities.
“Initially when we did the feasibility study the ridership was not strong enough to justify a station, but this project has pivoted to not only look at things from a profitability angle but also to develop communities and if we don’t add a stop in Red Deer it could hurt the city.”
As always we’ll keep you updated as even more information comes to light – but it’s clear, Alberta. Big things are happening – and we could very well be on our way to having the first hyperloop system in the world.. and wouldn’t that be something?
