Hyperloop Center Aims to Develop Transport Technology
2024-04-01
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1A 420-meter white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the northern Netherlands could be the start of a new kind of transportation for people and goods.
2The tube is the heart of the new European Hyperloop Center that opened recently in Veendam.
3Developers will be testing the changing technology there over the coming years.
4Hyperloop technology was once supported by business leader Elon Musk.
5It involves capsules that float on magnetic fields that move at speeds of around 700 kilometers per hour through low-pressure tubes.
6Its supporters say it is far more efficient than short flights, high-speed rail, and trucks.
7When Musk first presented the idea, he said it could transport people the nearly 645 kilometers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 30 minutes.
8But since then, progress has been slow to get from an idea to the real world.
9Sascha Lamme is the center's director.
10He expects to have the first hyperloop route by 2030.
11He predicts it might be about five kilometers and will transport people.
12He said, "There's already preparations being done for such routes in for example Italy or India."
13Not everybody shares such hopeful thoughts about Hyperloop's future.
14Robert Noland is a professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
15He told The Associated Press that policy makers chase after big ideas of the future but they should invest in simpler transportation structures.
16He added, "It costs too much to build."
17Lamme said non-believers should come and take a look for themselves.
18He said, "We built the European Hyperloop Center and from what we have built, we know that we can be competitive with high-speed rail."
19And he noted that they have not added all of the ways they can reduce costs over the next ten years.
20The test center's tube is made up of 34 separate sections mostly 2 and a half meters wide.
21A piece of equipment next to the tube removes air in the tube to reduce the pressure inside the tube.
22That reduces air resistance and permits capsules to travel at such high speeds.
23A capsule built by Dutch hyperloop company Hardt Hyperloop will be tested next month.
24It receives financial support from private investments, local and national governments, and the European Commission.
25The Veendam tube has a switch where it splits into two separate tubes that capsules can go through.
26Marinus van der Meijs is Hardt's technology and engineering director.
27He said switching is very important for hyperloop because it permits capsules to travel anywhere on a real-life network.
28While testing continues in Veendam, hyperloop developers hope that routes for their technology will be coming.
29Lamme said the main difficulty is finding government approval to build routes.
30And he said finding new financial support to test and show the technology is what is needed to make this happen.
31I'm Jill Robbins.
1A 420-meter white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the northern Netherlands could be the start of a new kind of transportation for people and goods. 2The tube is the heart of the new European Hyperloop Center that opened recently in Veendam. Developers will be testing the changing technology there over the coming years. 3Hyperloop technology was once supported by business leader Elon Musk. It involves capsules that float on magnetic fields that move at speeds of around 700 kilometers per hour through low-pressure tubes. Its supporters say it is far more efficient than short flights, high-speed rail, and trucks. 4When Musk first presented the idea, he said it could transport people the nearly 645 kilometers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 30 minutes. But since then, progress has been slow to get from an idea to the real world. 5Sascha Lamme is the center's director. He expects to have the first hyperloop route by 2030. He predicts it might be about five kilometers and will transport people. He said, "There's already preparations being done for such routes in for example Italy or India." 6Not everybody shares such hopeful thoughts about Hyperloop's future. 7Robert Noland is a professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He told The Associated Press that policy makers chase after big ideas of the future but they should invest in simpler transportation structures. 8He added, "It costs too much to build." 9Lamme said non-believers should come and take a look for themselves. He said, "We built the European Hyperloop Center and from what we have built, we know that we can be competitive with high-speed rail." And he noted that they have not added all of the ways they can reduce costs over the next ten years. 10The test center's tube is made up of 34 separate sections mostly 2 and a half meters wide. A piece of equipment next to the tube removes air in the tube to reduce the pressure inside the tube. That reduces air resistance and permits capsules to travel at such high speeds. 11A capsule built by Dutch hyperloop company Hardt Hyperloop will be tested next month. It receives financial support from private investments, local and national governments, and the European Commission. 12The Veendam tube has a switch where it splits into two separate tubes that capsules can go through. Marinus van der Meijs is Hardt's technology and engineering director. He said switching is very important for hyperloop because it permits capsules to travel anywhere on a real-life network. 13While testing continues in Veendam, hyperloop developers hope that routes for their technology will be coming. 14Lamme said the main difficulty is finding government approval to build routes. And he said finding new financial support to test and show the technology is what is needed to make this happen. 15I'm Jill Robbins. 16Mike Corder reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. 17__________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19capsule - n. a small pressurized compartment or vehicle (as for space flight) 20efficient - adj. capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy 21route - n. a way to get from one place to another place 22section - n. one of the parts that form something 23switch - adj. feeling that you are turning around in circles and are going to fall although you are standing still