COLUMBUS – The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission is studying the possibility of combing two transportation technologies – rail and Hyperloop — in one $2.5 million environmental impact study, the first in the world to conduct side-by-side studies.
The Rapid-Speed Transportation Initiative would explore routes that could utilize either traditional passenger rail or Hyperloop technology – or a combination – to link Columbus with Chicago and Pittsburgh, said MORPC executive director William Murdock.
A nine-month feasibility study will examine two potential routes for a Hyperloop One corridor, followed by an environmental study, Murdock said.
The news came days after a California company called Hyperloop Transportation Technologies and transportation agencies in Ohio and Illinois announced they were studying possible routes between Chicago and Cleveland.
Financial resources have already been pledged several partners, including the city of Columbus, MORPC, Union County, and the cities of Marysville and Lima ($500,000). Additional support from other private partners and Virgin Hyperloop One is anticipated but yet to be determined, says Murdock.
One possible route follows the rail corridor featured in MORPC’s “Midwest Connect” proposal, which won Hyperloop One’s global contest while the other has not been defined. Both are expected to include Chicago, Fort Wayne, Lima, Marysville, Columbus and Pittsburgh.
Midwest Connect, spearheaded by MORPC and other regional partners, was one of 10 global winners of the Virgin Hyperloop One Global Challenge. The proposal included the only route selected in the United States to cross four states.