Hyperloop One, the global leader in developing the world's first operational Hyperloop, released the first images of its 500-m full-scale test structure at the development site (DevLoop) at the Nevada desert in US, on the opening day of Middle East Rail expo in Dubai today (March 7).

The US-based pioneering mobility company Hyperloop One had last year signed a deal with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to study high-speed routes in the UAE.

The Hyperloop system is a new mode of transportation, capable of connecting to all modes of existing transportation and helping individuals be anywhere and move anything with on-demand autonomous transport.

This revolutionary mode of transportation could transform the future of the GCC as it would ease pressure on the existing transport infrastructure and provide a faster, more efficient and cleaner system of mobility, said a senior company official at the Dubai expo.

It presents the potential for the Middle East to reinvent and transform transportation, remarked Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd while providing the international keynote address at the 11th annual conference.

Lloyd also shared a bird's-eye view of how construction is progressing at the world's only full-system and full-scale Hyperloop test site, proving the company is well-positioned to deliver the first working Hyperloop.

"While technology is revolutionizing many facets of our lives, we have not seen a radical change in transportation since the Wright brothers introduced air travel over 100 years ago," he noted.

The 500-m-long DevLoop, which has a diameter of 3.3 m is located 30 minutes from Las Vegas in the Nevada desert. The company is expected to perform a public trial in the first half of 2017.

The DevLoop trial will follow Hyperloop One's first public test of a prototype propulsion system, which took place in the same area less than twelve months ago in May 2016.  

"Tying together the Middle East region would produce greater virtual density, without congestion and pollution, spurring innovation, productivity, job growth and more powerful sharing of knowledge, labour and investment. Building a Hyperloop would vastly impact the economy and make any major city in the GCC accessible within one hour," he added.

Josh Giegel, the president of Engineering and co-founder of Hyperloop One, joined Lloyd during his presentation at Middle East Rail via video from the DevLoop location in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

"I am so excited to be able to share images of DevLoop at Middle East Rail and update the world on our progress. Our team of more than 150 engineers, technicians and fabricators have been transforming what was, just over five months ago, a barren stretch of desert, into a hive of activity and now home to the world's first full-scale Hyperloop test site," remarked Giegel.

"We have come so far in such a short space of time, and our team of over 240 employees are working tirelessly to eliminate the barriers of distance and time and reinvent transportation," he added.

On its regional impact, Giegel said with its implementation, travel between major cities in the Gulf region could be less than one hour.

"Not only will a Hyperloop system benefit the GCC economically, but socially as well, by facilitating easier access to critical infrastructure such as hospitals and schools, expanding access to city attractions and unlocking urban development. It could create a UAE pan-urban area within a 30-minute Hyperloop reach between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain," he added.

"With a Hyperloop One system in place, there is ability to further unify the alliance of the GCC, socially, culturally and economically," said Shervin Pishevar, the executive chairman and co-founder of Hyperloop One.

"Hyperloop could further enable diversification and could make a huge impact on the region's relatively young and growing population, reimagining how cities and countries in the region work together. Progress made on the DevLoop in just five months demonstrates how quickly we could bring Hyperloop to the GCC and to the world," observed Pishevar.

The benefits of Hyperloop include higher standards of safety than a passenger jet, close to half the construction and lower maintenance costs than high-speed rail and energy usage that is similar to a bicycle per kilogram-kilometer.

Hyperloop One estimates that around 4,000 vehicles travel every day between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with traffic congestion in Dubai costing the economy $800 million in lost working hours.

Reducing this commute to 12 minutes opens a whole new realm of options and Hyperloop One shows an investment in a UAE Hyperloop network could unlock economic value 3.5 to four times over high speed rail.

Hyperloop One has announced a series of achievements in the last 12 months, demonstrating the company's rapid progress in developing the new form of transportation.

One week ago, Hyperloop One convened a landmark innovation summit – The Hyperloop One Vision for India – in New Delhi, discussing how the company could integrate with and augment India's vast transportation network with reliable, clean and on-demand autonomous transport, connecting India's major cities at faster-than-airline speeds.-TradeArabia News Service