In December 2024, The Hyper4Rail consortium of 27 partners from 13 countries had its kickoff hosted at Tum Hyperloop. The consortium receives a €2.8 million grant from Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking. The goal of the program is to take the next step for hyperloop by moving to a harmonized implementable hyperloop concept. This is the next step in the development of hyperloop and shows the support of the European Union and other partners for further steps.

The Hyperloop Development program leads Hyper4Rail and brings together key European players from the public and private sectors. Partners include hyperloop companies, research institutions, national railway companies, and engineering and design consultancy firms. In 24 months the contributors to the program will work on multiple goals.

The program aims to establish a common hyperloop concept design that is aligned with European transport goals as well as to create standards and a baseline for further hyperloop technology development. Finally, a roadmap will be created for the implementation of hyperloop in Europe. The work of the program is divided into four work packages that are listed below.

The four work packages

Design Concept: All about coming to a harmonized hyperloop design concept, including a commonly agreed Concept of Operations, system architecture, and interfaces, which will serve as the baseline for both technology validation and the common industry roadmap.

Network & Route Business case: Identify the most appropriate role and function for hyperloop within the future multimodal TEN-T network, considering existing transportation modes, emerging systems like maglev-derived technology, and will identify potentially viable use cases that inform the business case.

Technology Validation: Advancing the hyperloop concept from initial ideation to a technically validated and practical stage by establishing a solid foundation for ongoing development and future integration. This process involves collaboration with industry partners to optimize the use of existing technologies and accelerate the development

Common industry roadmap: Developing an industry roadmap for the implementation of hyperloop technology in Europe. This roadmap encompasses key aspects such as technology development, safety certification, designing the blueprint for a full-scale test facility, network roll-out, and anticipated socio-economic outcomes, aiming to guide stakeholders towards the successful integration of hyperloop into the European transportation system.

Link to website: https://www.hyper4rail.eu/
Link Linkedin post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hyperloop-development-program_hyper4rail-euabrrail-hyper4rail-activity-7271866772717289474-ZvyJ