First Hyperloop Could Blaze a Trail Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Hyperloop One, which aims to fulfill the vision of high-speed transportation promoted by Elon Musk, has signed a deal to develop a line between Dubai and UAE capital Abu Dhabi, Dubai reportedly announced this week.

No financial terms have been disclosed, but the project reportedly will have several stations throughout Dubai connecting the hyperloop system to Abu Dhabi.

Pods will carry passengers and cargo between the two.

Other Problems for Hyperloop

Regulatory and other issues also could have driven the hyperloop project abroad.

"Here in the United States, a project has to be competitive with other forms of transportation -- and there many alternatives," observed Michael Jude, a program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

U.S. regulators haven't a clue how to deal with the hyperloop, he told TechNewsWorld.

Further, safety is an issue, because "you've got this thing going at marginal supersonic speeds 20 feet above ground, and if a truck or something ran into one of the supports and damaged or knocked down a tube, you've got a ballistic missile," Jude said. "The liability is going to be unthinkable."

Such projects must be cost-justified in the U.S., which might be difficult, he suggested, and there is also the specter of terrorism.

There are no markets outside the U.S. that would support a hyperloop, Jude maintained.

"This is a solution looking for a problem," he said. It's hideously expensive, and it's a great terrorist target."