For hyperloop systems, the NETT council determined that the Federal Railroad Administration possesses the necessary tools and authorities to manage the safety and other regulatory authorities for these technologies. Hyperloop projects using maglev technology are eligible for the same grant programs as other projects exploring those technologies. This unlocks potential funding and financial opportunities for planning, and construction grants and loans.
The announcement comes after HyperloopTT’s recent announcement on July 14, 2020, regarding the publication of the first completed certification guidelines for hyperloop systems created alongside leading global certification agency TÜV SÜD.
“Today is a historic day for the hyperloop movement,” said Andres De Leon, CEO of HyperloopTT. “With the official designation of hyperloop under the FRA, the work we have done these past few years has reached a critical milestone in moving forward at the highest governmental level.”
In March of 2019, US DOT announced the formation of the Non-traditional and Emerging Transportation Technologies (NETT) Council to evaluate innovations and cross-modal applications like hyperloop. Since then, some key HyperloopTT led developments have contributed to the advancement of today’s announcement from DOT including the construction of the only full-scale hyperloop system; the results of the most comprehensive hyperloop feasibility study ever done in the Great Lakes Region; and the formation of the first complete certification guidelines for hyperloop systems.
HyperloopTT has been engaged with USDOT since 2016, prior to and since the forming of the NETT Council, which included members of DOT touring the first commercial-scale hyperloop system in Europe’s “Aerospace Valley” of Toulouse, France; meetings at HyperloopTT’s Los Angeles design center; and dozens of meetings in Washington, D.C.
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