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If you thought the one downside of taking the train instead of flying was that it can sometimes drag, technology may soon put paid to that. In a report, Dutch company Hardt Hyperloop claims its ultra-fast new train systems could take you from Paris to Amsterdam in just 90 minutes.
Within the next decade, the firm plans to connect Amsterdam with Paris, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt using futuristic ‘Hyperloop’ technology: essentially a system of tubes with low pressure through which pod-like trains can travel at high speeds. Hardt claims this could cut journey times between Amsterdam and Paris to around an hour and a half – compared with three hours, 20 minutes on the current Thalys service – while Amsterdam and Düsseldorf would be less than half an hour apart.
The company’s study looked at how a Hyperloop system could ‘maximise connectivity’ between Amsterdam and an array of commuter towns and cities, both within the Netherlands and abroad. As well as reducing road traffic and improving access to rural areas, the company claims it would make it easier for people to work in Paris or Amsterdam while living in more affordable nearby cities. For example, a Hyperloop train could let you commute from Eindhoven to Amsterdam in 15 minutes, rather than the current hour-and-a-half.
According to Hardt, the technology may be rolled out in Europe as early as 2028, with trains arriving at stations at intervals of just a few minutes – much like a subway or metro system. We’ve no doubt that dreamy Paris-Amsterdam commute will be the hottest ticket in town.
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