UK teams win Hyperloop ideas comp

Two UK teams are among the 10 winners of the ideas competition for applications to build the Hyperloop transport system.

Over 2,600 teams registered to take part in the competition, called Hyperloop One Global Challenge, to propose practical applications of the technology founded by tech billionaire Elon Musk and 10 have been named winners from a shortlist of 35 proposals.

The winning UK teams are Northern Arc led by Ryder Architecture and Arup, with support from KPMG, Newcastle City Futures, and North East Local Enterprise Partnership, which proposed a route between Glasgow and Liverpool to link the Northern Powerhouse and Scotland and Hyed, a team of students from the University of Edinburgh, which put forward a route linking London and Edinburgh via Birmingham and Manchester.

Aecom is the biggest winner of the competition which saw five routes it proposed selected, including three in the US, and one each in India and Canada.

Martin Butterworth, director at Arup said: “Progress in infrastructure and connectivity is intrinsic to the economic success of the UK. We need to be investing in current technologies to meet our transport needs today and into the future. But it is important also to be able to imagine where we need to be in the next 50, 75 or even a hundred years. We must always look over the next horizon at early-stage technologies that have the potential to improve the lives of generations to come. We believe Hyperloop is one such technology and worthy of further exploration.”

Further details of the next phases for the winning proposals will be unveiled over the coming months.