Assessment of Potential Commercial Corridors for Hyperloop Systems

EasyChair Preprint 901

Abstract

This study aims at developing a methodology to select and rank the most attractive corridors for the implementation of first commercial vacuum-tube train (or hyperloop) lines for passengers, in complement to traditional tools and methodologies.
From a list of the most populated cities all over the world, a first selection of possible transport connections is made, considering that a first commercial vacuum-tube train line has to be viable and safe and therefore cannot require the construction of a tunnel or cross a conflict area.
Then, an evaluation of all selected corridors is performed on the basis of defined classification criteria. Important parameters characterizing the potential of a corridor are identified during the research: the number of air passengers on the corridor, the nature of the competitive transport infrastructure, the GDP per kilometre and the topography along the route. Some other minor criteria are also used, in order to elaborate a robust tool which can be a good help for investors and decision makers.
All selected corridors are ranked, resulting in a short list of the 250 most attractive corridors for the implementation of first commercial lines.
This study presents a proposal for the ranking of the most promising corridors. In order to validate and refine its results, it should be followed by proper feasibility studies on the highest ranked corridors including ridership calculations, sensitivity analyses, etc.

Keyphrases: Hyperloop, Vacuum-tube train, methodology, transport economics

@booklet{EasyChair:901,
  author    = {Marc Delas and Jeanne-Marie Dalbavie and Thierry Boîtier},
  title     = {Assessment of Potential Commercial Corridors for Hyperloop Systems},
  doi       = {10.29007/gx3h},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 901},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2019}}