Hyperloop projects do not exist only in the United States, in Toulouse also a company has set foot on the ground, but without success for the moment.
“The Hyperloop is the future of the train” assures, confident, the admirers of this means of transport of the future, able to cover crazy distances in a few minutes. But this speech does not seem to reassure all the actors in place in its development. In France, the Occitanie region, which hosts the project of the Californian company Hyperloop TT, gives itself a certain right of reservation.
Everything had started so well in 2017. The prefect of Haute-Garonne then granted land, belonging to the State, to the company from the other side of the Atlantic. South of Toulouse, in a former military base, the company had an ambitious goal: to link Toulouse to Montpellier with a supersonic train going at more than 1000 km / h. The journey only lasts 24 minutes. A real revolution for this line which today takes a little over two hours.
But today the project seems to be taking water. Indeed, the Toulouse Métropole council has just refused, on December 16, the creation of a one-kilometer test track. But according to the Metropolis, and its elected Dominique Faure, there is no reason to worry. The project will come to an end, you just have to support them “at their own pace”.
The Region reserves the right to request a return
A story that is not exactly the same on the side of the Region, he who had nevertheless welcomed, 5 years ago, the directors of the company with the greatest excitement. But since then, 15 million euros of state credit soared, and little visible advances seem to have cost their place to the same Italian and German leaders of the company in the heart of Carole Delga, the president of the Region, who was already in place in 2017 when they arrived in Occitanie.
The Region has also recently announced that it reserves the right to request a refund on the credits made on its part. In total, the initial contract provided for aid of 450,000 euros, today just under 100,000 euros have already been paid.
A project that patina
While the ideas of Hyperloop, whether developed by Virgin (which has its own branch in this field) or by Hyperloop One, are gaining importance, the Toulouse project seems to be lagging behind. Indeed, on the old Francazal base, graciously offered by the State, Hyperloop TT has not carried out the slightest test with passengers in its “nacelles”.
According to the original schedule, this should have happened in 2020, but the pandemic, and development delays have delayed the program by several years. It will therefore be necessary to be patient for elected officials, who are growing impatient as other companies, especially start-ups, are eyeing Francazal’s facilities.
