Leeds Hyperloop Proposals

A former council leader hopes “hyperloop” public transport technology to come to Leeds.

19:31 29 June 2018

Councillor Keith Wakefield of Leeds City Council has expressed his hopes of seeing “hyperloop” public transport technology to reach Leeds in the next 20 years. The former chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee said that Leeds must embrace technology or run the risk of getting left behind.

 

"There is actually a hyperloop being built in the Middle East," Cllr Wakefield said. "So yes, it could be done."

 

"Ideas of transport will be changing within the next 20 years, we will probably get hyperloop.

 

"If we're not careful we will get left behind. It is moving on at such a pace."

 

Earlier this year, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has echoed the same hopes saying that hyperloop could ferry people from Leeds city centre to Leeds Bradford Airport.

 

Hyperloop, which could see passengers travel at up to 600mph, was first floated by tech billionaire Elon Musk. The technology uses an electric motor to push an electromagnetically-levitated pod through a low-pressure tube, theoretically reaching up to 670mph. It was first tested in a 500m tube through the Nevada desert in last year.

 

Cllr Richard Lewis, head of transport, said: "We need to get away from thinking 'it's got to be a tram.” He added that it will be possible in the future as the cost of modern technology is going down.