Transport firm Virgin Hyperloop has announced that it will build a Hyperloop Certification Centre (HCC) in West Virginia.
The HCC has received necessary support from local, state, and federal level, allowing the project to go ahead.
Virgin Hyperloop said that HCC construction would not only advance hyperloop’s regulatory and commercial sides, but also create construction, manufacturing and operations jobs in the region.
In August 2018, Virgin Hyperloop announced plans for a $500m testing centre in Andalucia, Spain.
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder, said: "The Hyperloop Certification Centre is the start of the hyperloop journey for West Virginia, for the US, and for the world. We’re one step closer to making hyperloop travel a reality for people everywhere."
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said: "Virgin Hyperloop’s decision to make West Virginia the home of its Certification Centre is a testament to our people and proves that when West Virginia competes, we win. West Virginia continues to grow in the technology, manufacturing and innovation sectors, and I look forward to witnessing the benefits of this progress as we advance the future of travel right here in our great state of West Virginia."
Virgin Hyperloop aims to achieve safety certification by 2025 and begin commercial operations in 2030.
In July 2020, a guidance document for a regulatory framework for hyperloop in the US was unveiled by the Department of Transportation and the Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology Council.
Virgin Hyperloop claims to be the only company in the world that has successfully tested hyperloop technology at scale.
Image courtesy of Virgin Hyperloop
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It’s ok producing a vacuum for a short distance, but to try and create a vacuum over say 100 miles to that low-pressure rating would be quite difficult. Also, how do the people breathe for the time that they are in the pod?