Concept of a Virgin Hyperloop
Heavy traffic along I-70 west of St. Louis

The Missouri Hyperloop is a proposed high-speed transportation route in the U.S. state of Missouri.[1][2] The hyperloop would connect the cities of St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City, complementing the busy Interstate 70.[3] Cross-state travel between Missouri's two largest cities would be reduced from four hours to under 30 minutes.[4]

In 2017, the Missouri Hyperloop Coalition was formed as a partnership between Virgin Hyperloop One, the University of Missouri, and engineering firm Black & Veatch.[5][6] The coalition released a report that concluded such a hyperloop was feasible, the first such study in the United States.[4][7] It touts benefits including annual savings of $500 million, fast and cheap travel for over 5 million people in Missouri's two largest metropolitan areas, and connecting technology and research centers including the University of Missouri.[8][9][10]

In 2019, Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced the formation of a Blue Ribbon panel to examine the details of funding and construction, including a potential 10–15-mile (16–24 km) test track.[11][2] The corridor has been described as an ideal location because of its relative flatness, population density, and preexisting infrastructure.[12] Virgin Hyperloop CEO Jay Walder referred to Missouri as a "model process" for planning hyperloops.[13][14]

In June 2019, Virgin Hyperloop One announced a partnership with the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts of Washington University in St. Louis to further investigate different proposals for the Missouri Hyperloop.[15]

In October 2020, West Virginia was announced as the location for the test track,[16] though this was never constructed.[17] In December 2023, Hyperloop One announced it was shutting down after failing to obtain any contracts to build a working system.[18]

References

  1. ^ della Cava, Marco (January 30, 2018). "Is Missouri ready for 700 mph hyperloop commutes?". usatoday.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Shively, Lindsay (March 25, 2019). "Missouri panel planning out next moves to land Hyperloop service". kshb.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  3. ^ Hawkins, Andrew J. (October 17, 2018). "A hyperloop in Missouri? A new study says it's feasible, but not necessarily affordable". theverge.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Edelstein, Stephen (January 31, 2018). "Missouri May Get Its Own Hyperloop If It Isn't Two Expensive". thedrive.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  5. ^ "Missouri Is One Step Closer to a Hyperloop with In-Depth Feasibility Study". hyperloop-one.com. Virgin Hyperloop One. January 30, 2018. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  6. ^ Knapp, Alex (January 30, 2018). "Plans Are Moving Forward To Bring A Hyperloop Route To Missouri". forbes.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  7. ^ Collins, Leslie (October 17, 2018). "Hyperloop: Missouri could be epicenter for 21st-century transportation". bizjournals.com. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  8. ^ Edwards, Steven L. (October 22, 2018). "Hyperloop in the heartland: A triumph". stltoday.com. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  9. ^ Cooper, Daniel (October 17, 2018). "Hyperloop One says Missouri route is economically viable". engadget.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  10. ^ Churchill, Lexi (September 8, 2018). "Missouri Hyperloop Coalition draws on MU students' ideas". Columbia Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  11. ^ McKinley, Edward (March 12, 2019). "Kansas City-St. Louis Hyperloop on a fast track? New panel to look for funding". kansascity.com. Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  12. ^ Barnes, Austin (February 21, 2019). "Missouri Hyperloop talk turns to motion sickness, comfort at high-speeds". starlandnews.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  13. ^ Shively, Lindsay (April 24, 2019). "Missouri 'a model process' for proposed Hyperloop, CEO says". KSHB. Kansas City. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  14. ^ Collins, Leslie (April 25, 2019). "Hyperloop CEO: Missouri route is leading the pack". Kansas City Business Journal. Kansas City. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  15. ^ "Designing hyperloop infrastructure | The Source | Washington University in St. Louis". The Source. June 24, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  16. ^ "Virgin Hyperloop chooses West Virginia, not Missouri, for test track". KSHB 41 Kansas City News. October 8, 2020.
  17. ^ Hoppy Kercheval (March 24, 2023). "Hyperloop Stalls". MetroNews.
  18. ^ McBride, Sarah (December 21, 2023). "Hyperloop One to Shut Down After Failing to Reinvent Transit". Bloomberg. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
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