Revolutionising travel in one of the world’s most important economic corridors
Once constructed, the Hyperloop will have a huge impact on the economy of the region, producing USD55bn in socio-economic benefits over 30 years, creating an estimated 15,000 direct and indirect jobs, and reducing greenhouse gases by 150,000 tonnes annually.
Key information
- Location:
- Pune to Mumbai
- Date started:
- 1
- Completion date:
- 2025
- Client type:
- Infrastructure
- Main services:
- Cost and commercial management
Client's requirements
Mumbai has always been the financial hub of India, but the nearby city of Pune has grown rapidly in the last 15 years. Today, it is known for its educational institutes, earning the nickname ‘the Oxford of the east’, and it has become a leading manufacturing and technology hub.
Connecting these two cities has always been a challenge thanks to the difficult geographic terrain. Every day more than 130,000 vehicles make the journey on the existing expressway, a drive of three or four hours.
Recognising the huge need to improve transport infrastructure and tackle the problem of bottlenecks in one of the busiest economic corridors in the world, the Indian State of Maharashtra set out to build a Hyperloop to link the two cities.
The Hyperloop high-speed infrastructure system will transport passengers and goods at aircraft speeds in pods through a low-pressure, vacuum tube, cutting journey times by 90 percent. The technology provides significantly more benefits to traditional transportation modes – sea, rail, road, and air – by offering energy-efficient, on-demand, and cost-effective service, while reducing the overall footprint of the system.
The planned Hyperloop route will link central Pune to Mumbai, with a possible option of adding an additional connection to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. The estimated travel time on this route is 25 minutes, eventually enabling 150 million journeys every year along a 132 km track and saving 90 million hours of travel time.
The system will also have the potential for the rapid movement of freight and light cargo between the Port of Mumbai and Pune, creating a commercial backbone in the region.
India would become the global manufacturing and export hub for Hyperloop systems, which will fuel demand for high-tech jobs in India and partnerships with education institutions.
Our contribution
We were appointed to deliver cost estimate services for the project. In such a unique scheme, which is yet to be built anywhere in the world, the challenge was to leverage our global experience on other transportation schemes, such as high speed rail, and derive cost benchmarks. We needed to understand the technology, which would power the project, so we worked collaboratively with stakeholders to stay on top of design development.
Making the difference
We put together a world class team, combining our global expertise and local talent in India. This team undertook extensive local market engagement which provided insight into the local supply chain, capabilities and constraints to assess the feasibility of the project. Our cost estimation tool has given greater certainty to our client.
Once completed, the Hyperloop technology could enable India to leapfrog to a higher trajectory of growth in the coming years and change people’s commute forever.
