Hyperloop line from YYC to YEG via Red Deer needs provincial commitment

He explains that one of the key aspects of a strong business case for such a transportation system is to be able to mix passengers and freight.

“The recommendation we had from Transport Canada was to focus on Alberta. The line is fairly straight between Calgary and Edmonton, the geography is quite flat, and it’s a low-density corridor,” he says. “On top of that, the highway is far from being safe, so there are lots of reasons to justify this corridor as being our preferred choice.

Gendron adds the line would also feature solar panels for the majority of the 300 kilometre stretch.

Perhaps the most eye-popping part of this discussion is the $6-8 billion price-tag. But Gendron says fret not because that will be entirely covered by the private sector. However, those private investors will likely need to see some form of commitment from the provincial government.

“One person used the analogy of an oil and gas company doing exploration, and that they want to have the right after that to be able to do the work as soon as they’ve found natural resources,” says Gendron. “It’s the same mindset. We’re ready to build that first phase of 10-20 kilometres, but down the road we need the visibility to show it’s successful and build what’s left.”

It would be rather unfortunate, he adds, if they were to build the track’s test phase, but then be forced to leave it abandoned in the countryside.

A one-way ticket would likely cost $40-60, says Gendron, who believes a hyperloop track connecting the province’s two largest cities would greatly benefit the economy.

“The GDP would increase, and right away with the test track, we’re looking at between 500 to 1000 direct jobs before 2025. When we start the full line, we’re looking at almost 15,000 jobs,” he says, adding there’d be many more to come indirectly once the line is complete.

“From a communications standpoint, it would put Alberta on the map as a leading province, rather than what we hear on a regular basis that the province is a bit backwards in looking at oil and gas. This would send the opposite signal to the world.”

Additionally, Gendron points out there are a lot of things being done in oil and gas that are applicable to what Transpod wants to do.

As for the safety of travelling in a pod moving up to 1000 km/h, Gendron advises, once again, to not worry. The guided system is contained within a tube and thus is protected from the weather. It would go over or below highway overpasses and other crossings, and although it would be moving so fast, it’s safer than a plane because the system can be repressurized in about 15 seconds.

“By Monday at the latest, we’ll be sending an updated proposal to the government to open discussions. Between now and February, we hope to get at letter of support, and then the pressure will be on my shoulders to go back to financial institutions who want to confirm they are on board,” says Gendron.

If everything falls into place, Gendron says all the necessary legwork will be done in the next two years, with test track construction possible in 2021. Two years of testing would follow, with the full build-out to begin in 2025.

by Josh Hall and Sheldon Spackman

Hyperloop line from YYC to YEG via Red Deer needs provincial commitment

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