Much as I love the concept of a hyperloop, I wonder if high speed rail might still be the more practical option.
There are three travel time benefits to rail travel:
- Travel time/to from the terminal (from/to city centre) at each end
- Check in and security clearance
- Travel time (in air or on train)
On the first benefit travelling from city centre to city centre avoids trips to/from airport - say 20 minutes in Calgary and 40 (?) minutes in Edmonton. Also there are risks associated with traffic jams (especially in the rush hour) and weather delays.
Hard to judge the second benefit but airports require arriving and checking in at least 30 mins prior to departure, potentially long check in lines (though not during COVID and can be alleviated with on-line check in) and the risk of security hold-ups.
Travel time is about 20 mins by plane, 30 to 40 mins by hyperloop, and 50 - 60 mins by high speed rail. Add to plane time de-icing, taxiing, and awaiting take-off or landing clearance (and weather delays). The plus or minus 20 minute difference between Hyperloop and high speed train is pretty insignificant when compared to all the other time benefits of either form of transport over air travel. (High speed rail would perhaps be more susceptible to sever weather delays than the Hyperloop)
So
total travel time (city centre to city centre):
Flying -
- 2 hours plus (no wonder many choose to drive)
- High speed rail - 1 hour or so
- Hyperloop - 45 minutes or so
You can question my numbers (just guesstimates) but you get the picture. Are all the technical risks associated with an unproven Hyperloop (and the risk of it not happening at all) worth 15 minutes? High speed rail is proven and operating in many parts of the world in all sorts of climatic conditions.