India's first Hyperloop test track, built by IIT Madras teams, revealed | Video

The maiden run on the Hyperloop test track was carried out at a speed of 100 kmph. It would be increased gradually to 600 kmph in test runs in the future.

The construction of India's first Hyperloop test track, an 11-km facility at the Discovery Campus of IIT Madras in Chennai's Thaiyur suburb, has been completed, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced.

The hyperloop track at IIT-Madras Discovery Campus at Chennai's Thaiyur suburb (x.com/AshwiniVaishnaw)

“Watch: Bharat's First Hyperloop test track (410 meters) completed. Team Railways, IIT Madras' Avishkar Hyperloop team and TuTr (incubated startup),” Vaishnaw posted on X on Thursday.

As per an NDTV report, the maiden run on the test track was carried out at a speed of 100 kmph. The speed would be increased gradually to 600 kmph in test runs in the future.

About the project

According to a press release issued in January, the project is a collaboration between IIT Madras and steel magnate Lakshmi Niwas Mittal.

Built as the first Hyperloop test facility in Asia, the steel for the project was supplied by ArcelorMittal and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS), the companies led by the UK-based Indian billionaire. The firms provided 400 tonnes of steel to build a 400-metre vacuum tube at the site, while engineers from ArcelorMittal's engineering arm (AMDEC) helped oversee the project.

The IIT Madras teams which built the test facility are student group Avishkar Hyperloop and TuTr Hyperloop, a startup incubated at the prestigious institute. The Ministry of Railways is also a key partner.

The objective is the “advancement and commercialisation of Hyperloop technologies for high-speed, affordable, reliable, and sustainable transportation.” The track was expected to be operational by the end of Q1, 2024.