Travelling by hyperloop

How far are we from travelling by hyperloop?

Hyperloop, also called low-pressure tube transport, combines a sealed guideway at reduced air pressure with an electrically propelled vehicle. Europe now has test facilities, including a 420-metre test track and a 30-metre infrastructure prototype. No commercial passenger hyperloop is operating. The European Commission's 2025 fact-finding study says the technology is not yet ready for commercial deployment. It names unsettled business cases, high capital costs, regulatory gaps, and the need to prove a complete system over long distances.

AI illustration · Illustrative scene, not a photograph of the specific device or experiment.
WHERE WE AREEngineering prototypes

Getting closer. Prototypes exist, but not in real-world use.

Engineering prototypes and subsystem test rigs exist, including a 420-metre test track with a lane switch and a 30-metre infrastructure prototype. No integrated system has yet been shown carrying passengers at useful speed and distance. The Commission study records a passenger test by Hyperloop One in 2020 but does not describe its length or conditions. The European centre's test speeds of 75 km/h on a turn and 100 km/h on a straight are far below the speeds used in network projections, so the test facilities do not show a service.

The tech tree

Everything recorded on Vrulum that this future needs, oldest foundations at the top and the goal at the bottom. Lines show what each step requires.

What it takes: Travelling by hyperloop Unlocked Being researched Locked
  1. 2000Magnetic levitationResearch and prototypes Being researched.
  1. 2020Passenger test in a low-pressure tubeDone Unlocked.
  2. 2020Evacuation and passenger rescue validatedNot started Locked.
  3. 2026Horizon Europe topic on safety requirements and certification roadmapNot started Locked.
  4. Date not recordedTest track and infrastructure prototype builtDone Unlocked.
  5. Date not recordedEU-level legal framework for certificationNot started Locked.
  6. Date not recordedIntegrated operation over long distancesNot started Locked.
  7. Date not recordedRoute business case that can be financedNot started Locked.
  1. GoalTravelling by hyperloopGoalRequires: Magnetic levitation, Passenger test in a low-pressure tube, Test track and infrastructure prototype built, Horizon Europe topic on safety requirements and certification roadmap, EU-level legal framework for certification, Evacuation and passenger rescue validated, Integrated operation over long distances, Route business case that can be financed. Locked.

The road so far

2 of 7 steps done.

  1. Done · 2020Passenger test in a low-pressure tube

    The Commission study records a passenger test in 2020 by Hyperloop One. The study also says that company has since ceased operations. It does not describe the test's length or conditions, so this is a limited demonstration, not a service. [2]

  2. DoneTest track and infrastructure prototype built

    The European Hyperloop Center lists a 420-metre test track in Veendam with a lane switch and a 2.5-metre pipe. It also lists a 30-metre infrastructure prototype, 1.4 metres in diameter, used to study assembly, tolerances, and the effects of pressure, vehicle load and temperature. The centre lists 100 pascals in the test pipe and test speeds of 75 km/h on a turn and 100 km/h on a straight. These are the operator's figures for its own facility. [3][2]

  3. Not started · Jan 2026Horizon Europe topic on safety requirements and certification roadmap

    A Horizon Europe topic, last updated on 5 January 2026, describes intended work on proposed hyperloop safety requirements, a certification roadmap, laboratory validation of signalling, at least two vehicle components in a low-pressure environment, and the interface between vehicle doors and platform screen doors. The topic describes intended work only. No awarded projects or results were checked, so no progress is shown. [4]

  4. Not startedEU-level legal framework for certification

    The Commission study says there is currently no EU-level legal framework for hyperloop certification, safety or interoperability. It describes voluntary standards work by CEN/CENELEC JTC 20 and warns that separate national approaches could fragment the sector. [2]

  5. Not started · 2020Evacuation and passenger rescue validated

    A 2020 conference paper reviews rail evacuation rules and proposes risk-based evacuation requirements for a hyperloop pod in a long tunnel, with initial solutions. Proposing requirements is not the same as a validated design. No source reviewed shows a tested evacuation or rescue system on a hyperloop route. [5]

  6. Not startedIntegrated operation over long distances

    The Commission study says hyperloop has yet to be tested over long distances, and that integrated pod control and full-length vacuum operations remain at lower readiness levels. The European test track is a short facility and does not, by itself, show how a full corridor would behave. [2][3]

  7. Not startedRoute business case that can be financed

    The Commission study says most current business cases are not bankable. It cites long lead times, uncertain ridership and pricing, and a lack of regulatory clarity. It gives an indicative infrastructure range of EUR 20 million to EUR 36 million per kilometre, exclusive of stations, land and rolling stock. These are study estimates, not observed costs. [2]

Why it matters

A fast, reliable link on a congested corridor could change how regions connect and how people choose between rail, road and air. Hyperloop claims often combine high speed, low cost and low emissions. Many of those claims rest on projections and developer assumptions, so it helps to keep apart what has been tested, what has been modelled and what is proposed.

What stands in the way

  • No integrated system has yet carried passengers over a useful distance at useful speed. The Commission study says integration and long-distance testing still need proof.
  • The Commission study says full-length vacuum operations remain at lower readiness levels. The test prototype studies pressure effects but is short, so pressure control over a full route has not been shown.
  • No EU-level legal framework for hyperloop certification, safety or interoperability existed at the time of the study.
  • Evacuation and passenger rescue in a sealed tube have been proposed as requirements, but no validated design has been shown.
  • The Commission study says most current business cases are not bankable, citing high capital costs and uncertain ridership and pricing.
  • Station interfaces, including the vehicle door and platform screen door, still need validation according to the Horizon Europe topic.

Published forecasts

What others have predicted. These are their estimates, not ours.

WhoForecastTimeframeMade
European Commission fact-finding study on hyperloop (2025), summarising developer timelines and the authors' projectionsThe study says no developer expects operational corridors before 2035 to 2040, and that full network effects would not be feasible before 2060 or later. Early deployment could occur in freight-only segments or technology test corridors. These are study projections, not an observed timetable or a funded plan. [2]2035–20602025

Signals to watch

  • Published results from the European Hyperloop Center on speed, pressure, run duration, lane switching, braking and faults.
  • A longer integrated demonstration that runs vehicle, guideway, propulsion, control and pressure systems together over a useful distance.
  • Outputs from the CEN/CENELEC JTC 20 standards work and from any awarded Horizon Europe safety project.
  • A publicly documented passenger evacuation and rescue exercise, including accessible egress.
  • A named corridor with published costs, demand, operating and maintenance assumptions that others can review.

Sources

  1. government report
    New EU study assesses progress and prospects for hyperloop technology
    European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, 12 Nov 2025.
  2. government report
    Fact-finding study on options for the possible further support of the European hyperloop sector
    European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, May 2025.
  3. other
    The European Hyperloop Center: test centre and infrastructure prototype
    European Hyperloop Center, 21 Oct 2026.
  4. government report
    Safety and certification guidelines and demonstration of safety components for hyperloop
    European Commission, CORDIS, 5 Jan 2026.
  5. conference paper
    Evacuation of an Hyperloop pod in a long tunnel
    Eivind Grøv, Thor Myklebust, Narve Lyngby. Research Publishing Services (ESREL2020 PSAM15 e-proceedings), 2020.
  6. peer reviewed paper
    Safety requirements for Hyperloop transportation systems: Applying NASA human spaceflight safety practices
    Micah Nishimoto, Michael T. Kezirian. Journal of Space Safety Engineering, Dec 2023.

Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.