You could soon* travel between Paris and Amsterdam in just 90 minutes.
According to a report by Dutch company Hardt Hyperloop, their futuristic train systems could cut journey times between these two major European cities by more than half. That’s a distance of 500 kilometres covered in just an hour and a half. So, theoretically, Sydney to Melbourne in three hours. Right?
The firm plans to connect Amsterdam with Paris, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf using brand new ‘Hyperloop’ technology. The super-fast system will consist of a bunch of tubes that trains can shoot through at epic speeds. They claim that this would result in journey times of closer to 90 minutes, as opposed to the three hours and 20 minutes that it currently takes to get to Paris from Amsterdam. It would also take less than 30 minutes to travel to Düsseldorf using the service.
Hardt Hyperloop are all about maximising connectivity between Amsterdam and its commuter cities, inside the Netherlands and beyond. The use of an efficient train system would reduce road traffic and allow commuters to live in more affordable spots. For example, these speedy trains would get you from Eindhoven to the capital in just 15 minutes, compared to an hour and a half.
With those times, it’s hard to imagine a future where ‘hyperloop’ travel isn’t a thing. But what’s more impressive is its environmental figures. Subsequently, its also more concern for the future of the airline industry which, in Europe, has been seeing a decrease in sales due to “Flygskam” – the Swedish word for “flight shame” – and an uptake of alternative modes of travel.
With zero CO2 emissions, these trains will also offer a far more sustainable alternative to short-haul flights. Hyperloop uses less energy per passenger than both regular trains and aeroplanes, and is completely powered by renewable electricity. This is good news for the Earth, obviously.
And wouldn’t be cool too, shooting through a tube at impressive speeds and arriving at your destination without dry skin?
*Lower your expectations, folks. We can expect to wait a fairly long time for this new system to be rolled out, but 2028 is the current estimate. Long enough to plan a big move to Paris or Amsterdam, I reckon. Or, to get a plan together for super-fast trains across Australia.