Demand for Passenger Capsules for Hyperloop High-Speed Transportation System—Case Study From Poland

Abstract

The innovative concept of the vacuum railway—high-speed transportation system has for many years aroused great interest of people dealing with the issues of modern and effective transport systems. Transport scientists and engineers see this technology as a great opportunity for modern societies, at the same time, struggling with many difficult and still unsolved problems. This article presents partial results of the research carried out to assess the feasibility and legitimacy of implementing this technology in Poland. Particular attention was paid to the research methodology for estimating the demand for passenger capsules used for the transport of people in hyperloop (HP) technology. The authors also presented the results of using this methodology to determine the investment outlays for HP capsules intended to handle passenger traffic on selected routes planned in Poland. The authors’ contribution is an innovative approach to determining the demand for passenger capsules, the investment outlays, and the maximum capacity depending on parameters such as, for example, the sequence time or travel time of capsules on one of the future HP routes in Poland.