Potential for Tunnel Technology in the Development of Hyperloop Vacuum Rail

Hyperloop is a new concept of transport system the main assumption of which is to use hermetic tunnels where air pressure is very low compared to atmospheric pressure. It enables significant reduction of traffic resistance and, as a result, energy consumption. One of the most important elements of this system is land infrastructure with transport tubes. This system component has a significant impact on the construction costs related to the whole system and affects its functional parameters (e.g. capsule travel speed). Appropriate configuration of the route of a new transport system will require the use of all possible ways of leading transport tubes, including tunneling. The paper presents the key premises that prove a large potential application of tunnel technologies in the development of a new transport system.