Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Hyperloop project; and whether they intend to review the HS2 project in the light of this and other expected future technological developments.

The Department for Transport is in discussion with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Innovate UK and the Department for Transport’s Science Advisory Council to assess the potential for the development of hyperloop technologies in the UK. The Science Advisory Council intends to publish a paper on hyperloop shortly setting out its position on the technical credibility of the concept.

Plans for HS2 are based on proven technologies which enable through services to the existing network. Utilising untested systems risks delays to the delivery of the much needed additional capacity to our network and increases the potential risks to cost and programme.