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What do you think of a Hyperloop between Edmonton and Calgary?

  • Total voters
    77
I'm still very skeptical about this, but let's be realistic: a project like this doesn't get $550m in financing by being completely out to lunch. Let's maintain a healthy dose of skepticism without completely closing our minds to this being a new technology that actually has some legs.
I get extremely frustrated when the same people who cry about the mentality of 'good enough for edmonton' and want more for our city, but then at the same time laugh any private investor with a bold idea out of the city. We have private companies putting in significant effort and considerable private money into projects like the gondola and now the hyperloop and the near universal reaction on here is a collective sneer. So, do we want to be a city that attracts bold ideas or do we want to be a city that goes with the same old? Yes, not all ideas will pan out, but can we at least give them a chance before we start up the 'monorail' song from the Simpsons and refuse to even entertain the idea of technology evolving?
Ok, now I need a coffee before I get even grumpier...
 
Didama said:
I'm still very skeptical about this, but let's be realistic: a project like this doesn't get $550m in financing by being completely out to lunch. Let's maintain a healthy dose of skepticism without completely closing our minds to this being a new technology that actually has some legs.
I get extremely frustrated when the same people who cry about the mentality of 'good enough for edmonton' and want more for our city, but then at the same time laugh any private investor with a bold idea out of the city. We have private companies putting in significant effort and considerable private money into projects like the gondola and now the hyperloop and the near universal reaction on here is a collective sneer. So, do we want to be a city that attracts bold ideas or do we want to be a city that goes with the same old? Yes, not all ideas will pan out, but can we at least give them a chance before we start up the 'monorail' song from the Simpsons and refuse to even entertain the idea of technology evolving?
Ok, now I need a coffee before I get even grumpier...
Click to expand...
I guess we'll see how feasible it is in May. $550M of a $40B project or whatever it will cost isn't much. So far, two people have traveled for 15 seconds at 160 km/h. Honestly, I'd rather the $550M go into proven technology like maglev or other forms of rail. I guess it is nice that we are doing research, etc on this, but I don't see Alberta being a launch market for this. HSR is a tough sell in itself given our population.
 
westcoastjos said:
I don't see Alberta being a launch market for this
Click to expand...
I disagree -- not so much from a public transportation viewpoint. But if this can be proven for transportation of goods, then that is a whole different ballgame. And Alberta would be a good test market for this because land rights between Edmonton and Calgary would likely be cheaper than anywhere else in North America between two Economic Centres, especially ones that are projected to have substantial growth tied to Energy and other Resources in the near- to mid-term. And for that connection, existing terrain is less of an obstacle as well. Test away, I say.
And there are "bigger fish" from a Port-of-Entry sense. Consider Edmonton as a distribution Centre for all points eastward, north and south connected by Hyperloop to Prince Rupert. Currently -- by truck or by rail -- the journey through challenging terrain -- both physical- and weather-wise -- is 16 1/2 hours. A Hyperloop connection between Edmonton and Price Rupert, tunneling through mountains, could provide a container transport solution that would take under two hours, essentially making Edmonton a Port-of-Entry extension to Prince Rupert with a North-America-wide distribution network starting at its doorstep.
Other products can connect here as well with containerized LNG and Liquid Hydrogen eastbound from Edmonton to Asian markets and Mining ingots of Aluminum and other metals (Kitimat) westbound to North American Markets. The quicker the testing phase, the better IMHO. After testing, if results bear out, I could see Canada's Feds and both Alberta and B.C. seeing the value in this.
Screen Shot 2022-04-13 at 9.06.25 AM.png
 
archited said:
I disagree -- not so much from a public transportation viewpoint. But if this can be proven for transportation of goods, then that is a whole different ballgame. And Alberta would be a good test market for this because land rights between Edmonton and Calgary would likely be cheaper than anywhere else in North America between two Economic Centres, especially ones that are projected to have substantial growth tied to Energy and other Resources in the near- to mid-term. And for that connection, existing terrain is less of an obstacle as well. Test away, I say.
And there are "bigger fish" from a Port-of-Entry sense. Consider Edmonton as a distribution Centre for all points eastward, north and south connected by Hyperloop to Prince Rupert. Currently -- by truck or by rail -- the journey through challenging terrain -- both physical- and weather-wise -- is 16 1/2 hours. A Hyperloop connection between Edmonton and Price Rupert, tunneling through mountains, could provide a container transport solution that would take under two hours, essentially making Edmonton a Port-of-Entry extension to Prince Rupert with a North-America-wide distribution network starting at its doorstep.
Other products can connect here as well with containerized LNG and Liquid Hydrogen eastbound from Edmonton to Asian markets and Mining ingots of Aluminum and other metals (Kitimat) westbound to North American Markets. The quicker the testing phase, the better IMHO. After testing, if results bear out, I could see Canada's Feds and both Alberta and B.C. seeing the value in this.
View attachment 392584
Click to expand...
It is an interesting idea to use hyperloop for cargo transport, but it'd only happen if we had infinite money or the world changed in a big way to support and megamegamega project like this.

I definitely support Transpod in developing the technology and doing so here in Alberta, building a test track and whatever it may be, but I just cannot see it becoming a functional and viable transport system here for like 50 years at least. I can't help but feel like there's so much else not only Alberta but Canada can do that comes logically before building a system like Hyperloop. Take the Prince Rupert - Edmonton route again. Why not increase the rail transport capacity and quality between them greatly by a) double tracking the entire route, b) reducing the amount of tight and risky areas and hugely increasing the speed of the century-old line by adding viaducts and base tunnels in certain areas, and c) electrifying the entire freight network because it's a smart sensible thing to do to increase efficiency, quality and speed and reduce local emissions to 0%?

It isn't that I'm unimaginative or don't like big ideas, I love big ideas and often spend time daydreaming about them, but I honestly think that many of these really big ideas can see similar or even better solutions and results when one particular mode of transport is just built upon and improved: trains

But then again maybe I'm just biased because trains are cool in of themselves 😆
 
Tbone84 said:
Back in the news with the unveiling of the Fluxjet
www.transpod.com

TransPod Unveils the FluxJet for Ultra-High-Speed Transportation

The FluxJet will enable drastic improvements in carbon footprint, travel time, and ticket price compared to existing transport options.
www.transpod.com www.transpod.com
Click to expand...
”The FluxJet will operate exclusively on the TransPod Line.” an interesting statement noting that neither of those things actually exists.

“The technology is proven.“ another interesting statement noting that neither of those things actually exists.

“This critical project will create up to 140,000 jobs and add $19.2B to the region’s GDP throughout construction.” another interesting statement. why not 180,000 jobs, or 280,000 jobs? and why $19.2B, not an even $19B or $20B or $30B or $50B?

as for that US$550B in financing, isn’t that from one of china’s export development programs which means most of the initial design work will be done there and most of the manufacturing - if it ever gets that far - will also be done there and the intellectual property rights will also best there?

I like toys as much as the next person, i just don’t think we should be throwing good money after bad investing in something that’s not yet even a toy.

although “fluxjet operating on a transpod line” does have a certain jetsons/asimov/simpsons vibe to it that’s kind of catchy.
 
It looks like this is continuing to move forward.

Test facility to be build at YEG and link YEG to downtown (!)

"Starting in 2025, TransPod plans to start a two-year test deployment of the fully built FluxJet between downtown Edmonton and the Edmonton Airport on a five to 10-kilometre test track. Construction of the full intercity line between Calgary and Edmonton would then begin in 2027."

electricautonomy.ca

Is the TransPod Calgary-Edmonton passenger hyperloop Canada's future?

TransPod, a Toronto startup, says its FluxJet vehicle could shuttle commuters between Calgary and Edmonton in just 45 minutes
electricautonomy.ca electricautonomy.ca
 
A gondola could not get built. I don't see how approval will be given for a river crossing for Transpod. The Province would need to take control and bully it through. If it is all above ground track the entire way and wins public support for a river crossing - let the private sector run with it.
 
I am still not convinced about this transpod thing. Billions to build and we don't even have HSR as a pre-cursor to show there is enough demand to support high speed transit between Edmonton and Calgary. May as well build a monorail!
 
^^^^ There is more at stake here than simply a track between Edmonton and Calgary -- a "proof of concept" on relatively inexpensive wide open prairie opens doors to all sorts of other markets. The rationale is clear to me.
 
Can we all agree never to bring up the f@@king monorail episode again? Gawd...it's a Simpsons episode from 30 years ago, people. I'm so sick of that coming up every time someone proposes any kind of transportation project. //rant
 
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