Hyperloop: Texas Triangle

[Tnexster]

DFW, Texas Triangle tapped as finalist for Hyperloop tube travel

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news ... rloop.html

The Texas Triangle route is a 640-mile system that will, if it becomes a reality, connect Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, with a leg down to Houston. The route was chosen as one of the top 10 proposals worldwide by Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One. There were more than 1,000 initial submissions representing six continents worldwide.

The cost of taking the Hyperloop would be roughly $330 one-way from DFW to San Antonio, but that could be reduced through project subsidies, according to the company. Hyperloop One aims to transport freight by 2020 and passengers by 2021 along whatever initial route is selected.

[electricron]

Hyperloop fares subsidized, by whim? It certainly will not be TXDOT subsidizing the Hyperloop fares.
And one way fares of $330 is much, much greater than the fares airlines, Amtrak, and Greyhound charges.

[tamtagon]

19 minutes to Austin, sold.

[electricron]

19 minutes to Austin, sold.

Where in Austin would you place the Hyperloop Station?
Keep in mind the airlines wouldn't allow it on airport property!
Where in Austin will there be a cheap to obtain right-of-way and acreage for this station? Imagine the worse possible location, as far away from other transportation access as possible, that's probably where it will go.

[cowboyeagle05]

If Uber still goes there they will be fine...

[DFW]

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/tech/Dallas ... html?amp=y

[art_suckz]

19-minute hyperloop from Dallas to Austin on fast track after government push

By John Egan
Mar 13, 2019, 4:05 pm

http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/trave ... chao-sxsw/

During an appearance at SXSW in Austin, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said she has established a transportation technology council that will aim to clear regulatory and legal roadblocks for the traffic-busting Virgin Hyperloop One concept and similar transit innovations.

[DPatel304]

I thought Virgin just wanted to do their own high speed rail?

I appreciate the ambition this person has, but I'm EXTREMELY skeptical whenever I see anything involving the Hyperloop. But if they are trying to get rid of all the legal hurdles involved, perhaps this could also benefit a potential future HSR line as well? I'm not really sure if that makes any sense.

Either way, I just want to say how awesome it is that both Houston and Austin are trying to connect with Dallas first. I know eventually they'll likely connect with each other, and we'll also get San Antonio connected too, but, whatever happens with this Texas Triangle, I'm extremely happy with the fact that Dallas seems to be the center of it all for now.

[Tucy]

I thought Virgin just wanted to do their own high speed rail?

I appreciate the ambition this person has, but I'm EXTREMELY skeptical whenever I see anything involving the Hyperloop. But if they are trying to get rid of all the legal hurdles involved, perhaps this could also benefit a potential future HSR line as well? I'm not really sure if that makes any sense.

Either way, I just want to say how awesome it is that both Houston and Austin are trying to connect with Dallas first. I know eventually they'll likely connect with each other, and we'll also get San Antonio connected too, but, whatever happens with this Texas Triangle, I'm extremely happy with the fact that Dallas seems to be the center of it all for now.

You should probably read the article.

[tanzoak]

The US is a backwater with respect to transportation infrastructure other than highway projects. We simply do not have the experience to engender any kind of confidence that this would be a successful project here. We can build 19th century technology (i.e. subway) only at a 5-10x cost premium to Western Europe and Japan, and we haven't demonstrated that we can even complete projects using 20th century technology (i.e. high-speed rail), much less emerging technology (i.e. high-speed maglev), much much less something truly at the technological frontier like Hyperloop.

I would want to see it demonstrated in countries that have a good track record building transportation projects (like France or Japan) before I trusted it to be built here.

[art_suckz]

Honestly, *nobody* has experience with operations that involve flying jets on magnetic rails inside of a vacuum-sealed tube.

It's political willpower/obstruction and public perception that stalls our projects... not the ability to implement a technology.

[tanzoak]

Honestly, *nobody* has experience with operations that involve flying jets on magnetic rails inside of a vacuum-sealed tube.

It's political willpower/obstruction and public perception that stalls our projects... not the ability to implement a technology.

It's not a political willpower thing. We spend vast sums on transportation projects (like literally 5-10x comparable projects in Western Europe) that take way longer to complete and are typically poorly designed (for example, mezzanines and super deep stations that add tons to travel times for no reason. Or just the ability to build functioning elevators and escalators. Or putting streetcars in *mixed-traffic* lol. Or just look at DART lol. Or the epic fail of CaHSR.).

Sure, nobody has the specific experience with hyperloop (though Japan with high-speed maglev is close). But when you consistently fail at related, globally standard technology, with clear, documented best practices, why do you think they'll succeed on the frontier?

More broadly, a transportation project is more than just the the core locomotive tech. Of course we could easily dig a hole in the desert and build a subway line, or lay a couple of miles of track and run a high-speed train on it. Likewise with hyperloop. But the delivery of the technology as part of a real transportation project seems to be out of our grasp.

[art_suckz]

I still think the root of *all* of that is a political climate that stunts the environment needed to create healthy industries... it isnt a lack of imagination and ability. It's a pervasive conservative and crony-car-capitalist mindset that confuses and misdirects resources and funding.

America designs implement the most complex systems on the planet (mostly aerospace)... the maglev isnt really that advanced. They just put the resources behind it. I love Japan and the Shinkansen, Id rather see that than the hyperloop but I see their successes as nothing more than giving systems the political attention they need. Also, I'm sure youve seen how massive and convoluted Shinjuku and other big Japanese trains stations can be... they're a mess sometimes. Sometimes they have broken computers, ticket machines and escalators too. (they probably just fix it faster than a US civil entity would)

Maybe were are actually arguing from the same page and dont realize it... just my perspective.

[muncien]

I still think the root of *all* of that is a political climate that stunts the environment needed to create healthy industries... it isnt a lack of imagination and ability. It's a pervasive conservative and crony-car-capitalist mindset that confuses and misdirects resources and funding...

Be careful with this one... While it may be easier to lay the blame on 'conservatives', that really doesn't make it true. Part of the reason conservatives loath mass transportation projects is due to the ridiculous costs being mentioned in this vary thread.
Case in point... I have been following HSR plans for decades in California, with dreams of never taking that dreadful freeway to Vegas or Sacramento, etc...
But the bloated government bureaucracy that advocated so hard for HSR is the same one that inflated the costs and drew out timelines endlessly to the point that it was financially impossible to do.
We seriously need to fix our whole way of thinking when it comes to transportation.

But I'm with you on the 'crony car capitalist' mindset. We seriously need to think beyond the personal automobile when it comes to the majority of trips taken.

[art_suckz]

Part of the reason conservatives loath mass transportation projects is due to the ridiculous costs being mentioned in this very thread.
Case in point... I have been following HSR plans for decades in California, with dreams of never taking that dreadful freeway to Vegas or Sacramento, etc...
But the bloated government bureaucracy that advocated so hard for HSR is the same one that inflated the costs and drew out timelines endlessly to the point that it was financially impossible to do.
We seriously need to fix our whole way of thinking when it comes to transportation.

I agree, a liberal govt failed there. At the same time, those failings arent due to the industries as much as the state. But now conservatives will use that as an excuse to try and kill any private initiatives (in this case Texas Central or Hyperloop) based on the bad track record of California.

[muncien]

One last point... Developers, Contractors (particularly Defense contractors), etc., love nothing more than to hear that a given project has 'political will' behind it. They view that as $$$$, and will be more than nappy to charge accordingly.
It's a bit twisted, but that is the way it is.

What we need more of are the disruptors, such as Hyperloop and even Texas HSR to a degree, where they have no problem undercutting the established players if they see a way to make money on something without having the feds coming to them asking for it. When folks like this come along, the best thing we can do is partner with them and try to remove roadblocks, all while the Raytheon/Lockheed/Boeing people kick and scream the whole time.

*Sorry... you can tell I follow defense contracting as a personal hobby... lol

[art_suckz]

I agree and another part of what I was trying clumsily to get at.