Call me pessimistic on this - hyper-loop is pure vapour-ware nonsense.
Of course, private interests can look into it all they want and perhaps one day the technology will come up with something applicable. But it's a pointless exercise to imagine a Calgary - Edmonton hyperloop line as transportation as the tech doesn't exist yet, and requires several inventions to even achieve something testable, let alone be in service.
The problem we are trying to solve is to improve the efficiency, choice and resiliency of our intercity transportation network.
Currently this is done with a congested highway, with high degree of weather variability that takes between 2.5 - 3.5 hours on average. Highway 2 also kills multiple people a year, emits a ton of carbon, costs a lot to maintain and has no practical competition. A couple pricy buses and flights and that's about it.
It's all been said before, yet we still get hyperloop articles every few months - to compete against the current state you don't need to invent a new system that can move small pods 1,000km/h. You are competing against a car that takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours and is subject to high amounts of delays. Trains can do that off the shelf.
- Offer a 3 hour travel time with high train capacity and better reliability than than Highway 2, you'll attract a ton of ridership.
- Offer 2 hour or less travel time with high train capacity and better reliability than Highway 2 and you'll probably never need to expand highway 2 again.
Will a train be cheap or easy to build? Nope - but neither was the highway. At least it can be built though! Higher speeds are good but they really don't even need to be that high - again you are competing against a congested, unreliable highway.
With a Banff - Calgary train much further along plus the two cities expanding their LRT networks it's a great time to get into the intercity rail game.
globalnews.ca
