Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has been working extensively on the creation of a high-speed capsule system with minimal friction for the past decade. Their mission is to revolutionize the transportation of passengers and goods. Recently, the company unveiled a new innovation called the Express Freight system. This fully automated system combines vacuum pipes, levitating capsules, and electric drifts to enable instant loading and unloading of cargo.
According to statements from HyperloopTT, the new Express Freight system promises to be faster, more economical, and more stable compared to air or road transport. It was developed after a 2019 study that found a high-speed Hyperloop cargo system to be more cost-effective than aviation and automobile transportation.
The British design bureau Tangerine played a key role in the development of the system. The main objectives of the project were to integrate with existing infrastructure, maximize cargo volume in capsules, and provide fast and flexible cargo loading to meet customer needs.
The Express Freight system allows for the loading of smaller air cargo containers through stepped doors of the capsules, unlike Hyperports systems designed for larger sea containers. At the terminal, an automated conveyor system simultaneously unloads incoming containers and loads outgoing ones.
HyperloopTT CEO Andres de Leon expressed confidence that the new system will “dramatically change the way goods are transported worldwide.” He highlighted features such as quick automated loading, maximum cargo capacity, and flexible configurations that have been optimized for transporting goods at incredible speeds and lower tariffs than current aviation and road options.
The company also intends to integrate the Express Freight system into the overall infrastructure for passenger transportation. As previously shown, the passenger system is based on capsules accelerated to speeds up to 760 miles per hour (1,223 km/h) using a maglev system within vacuum pipes.