Chicago in minutes? Columbus to release more details on Hyperloop

A major announcement on a Hyperloop high-speed transportation network in Columbus is in the works.

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission is ready to release "the first step" of the proposed project through a "major announcement," Thea Walsh, the commission's director of transportation and funding told The Columbus Dispatch. An announcement could come some time during the week of Feb. 19.

Walsh said that she could not provide any details about what the announcement might include. She told The Dispatch that commission officials took a trip to in January to Hyperloop’s first concept — called DevLoop — in Nevada.

In September, Columbus was named one of 10 international finalists to house Hyperloop One, the high-speed transportation network.

Hyperloop One is a worldwide challenge to create a transportation system that moves both people and products quickly.

The Hyperloop transports pods of people and goods through a tube — traveling 671 miles per hour.

The pods could travel from Columbus to Chicago in 29 minutes. The pod could also travel to Pittsburgh from Columbus in 18 minutes.

The other finalists in the U.S. are: Dallas-Laredo-Houston; Cheyenne-Denver-Pueblo, and; Miami-Orlando. Non-U.S. finalists include Toronto-Montreal; Mexico City-Guadalajara; Edinburgh-London; Mumbai-Chennai, and; Bengaluru-Chennai.

About the Author