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Written question asked by Cheryl Gillan (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 November 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 November 2020 (named day). It was answered by Andrew Stephenson (Conservative) on Monday, 16 November 2020 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Transport: Technology

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing a hyperloop transport system through the High Speed Two project.

Answer

Hyperloop is at an early stage of development and significant technological challenges have to be overcome before an operational system can be constructed and carry passengers.

In 2017 the Department for Transport’s Science Advisory Council (SAC) published a position statement on Hyperloop which noted that “because of the scale of the technical challenges involved, an operational Hyperloop system is likely to be at least a couple of decades away.” Officials in the Department continue to monitor Hyperloop research very closely. They do not believe that there have been any developments in the last three years that might cast doubt on the SAC’s 2017 assessment.

The Department for Transport conducted a detailed investigation last year into the feasibility of constructing a high-speed Maglev link in the UK. Its conclusion was that whilst Maglev is a promising technology, there are still several obstacles which, at present, put it at a disadvantage compared to high speed rail.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
113459
Session
2019-21
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Innovation Transport Technology High Speed 2 line
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk