MARIN Tests Underwater Hyperloop Tunnel

Published Oct 15, 2019 8:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Marin) is testing a model for a trans-Atlantic underwater tunnel capable of supporting a hyperloop system.

The 140 meter (460 foot) model tunnel is being tested in one of the research organization's basins to see how it responds to wave action. This will determine if the hyperloop pods can travel safely inside the tunnel under real oceanic conditions. The actual tunnel would be around 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) long at a depth of over 100 meters (328 feet) with 30-meter (98-foot) pods capable of carrying 60 people. The pods would travel at 1,000 kilometers per hour (620 miles per hour) - essentially without air resistance or friction as they moved along the vacuum-sealed tunnel.

The Marin researchers say this mode of transport offers a less polluting alternative to air travel, and they hope to form a consortium to develop the concept.

Hyperloop technology is being developed elsewhere, and Virgin Hyperloop has projects underway in India, the Middle East and Europe. The company also has plans for Texas, Missouri, the Midwest and Nevada.