TransPod has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of Alberta in Canada to support the development of a high-speed transportation hyperloop capable of traveling 621 mph.

The agreement aims to attract investors to Alberta to build a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project that would create up to 38,000 jobs over the next 10 years. Additionally, the hyperloop will diversify Alberta’s economy, improving the movement of people and goods and reducing Alberta’s carbon emissions by up to 300,000 tons per year.

Under the MOU, TransPod will examine the feasibility of developing its technology in Alberta; share transportation data that may assist in the building of a hyperloop; work with officials to identify suitable land that can safely accommodate a test track; and participate in discussions with potential large institutional investors where suitable. There have been no financial commitments or endorsements made by Alberta Transportation for the TransPod project.

The Alberta TransPod project will be deployed in phases. The first phase will be a feasibility study conducted from 2020 to 2022 and a research and development phase from 2020 through 2024. The next phase will be to construct a test track and then conduct high speed tests from 2022 through 2027. The final phase long-term is to construct a full inter-city line between Edmonton and Calgary with a starting date targeted for 2025.

“By supporting TransPod’s feasibility study, Alberta Transportation will provide important information contributing to the research, development, testing and construction of a full inter-city TransPod line between Edmonton and Calgary,” said Ric McIver, Alberta minister of transportation.

TransPod’s hyperloop

TransPod is developing a hyperloop that can carry passengers and cargo between cities at speeds of more than 600 mph. The pods are fossil-fuel-free and fully electric, built on TransPod’s proprietary design that leverages aerospace engineering as well as a network of engineering partners. The pods travel at ground level in a protected guideway that is immune to weather. The goal is to make the hyperloop as convenient to a subway that departs every few minutes but is three times as fast as a high-speed train.

The system is being examined by governments and organizations for several projects around the world and TransPod is currently in the design and development phase for a testing facility in France. The TransPod vehicle will be showcased in Canada and France to demonstrate what the system might be able to do in other countries.