Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop declared public infrastructure project
Ritika Bhoora
The Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop which aims to cut down travel time between the two cities to just 25 minutes is approved to be a public infrastructure project by the Maharashtra Government under the recently enacted Maharashtra Infrastructure Policy Act 2018. This move will ensure more competition and easier land acquisition for the ambitious, ultra-high speed project.
The bidding for the project will be held under the Swiss challenge method, which allows the government to invite global firms to bid for the project and challenge the original proponents of the endeavour, Virgin Hyperloop One.
The metropolitan commissioner and CEO of Pune metropolitan region development authority (PMRDA), Kiran Gitte said, “This is a very crucial step in the project. Now that the project is under the Swiss challenge method, interested parties can put forward better proposals and technologically and economically better proposals will be shortlisted.Public infrastructure status will help us acquire land and will bring other benefits too.”
Virgin hyperloop one proposes to construct a test route over a distance of 15 km from Balewadi to Gahunje in 2019 once the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the feasibility report is submitted.
