Virgin Hyperloop lays off half of staff and focuses on freight transport – IT Pro – News

The slower the transport, the better it is in terms of cost efficiency. Transport by ship = much slower than train and generally cheapest.

When it comes to passenger transport, these cheap options present you with other problems. A package from Amazon does not have to go to the toilet. You also do not have to put it wet and dry in front of the beak every few hours. In addition, it usually does not matter if the temperature fluctuates between 0 and 20 degrees, while people often see 20+ as comfortable but also not 25+.

The train is expensive in the Netherlands, but that does not mean that ‘the train’ is expensive as a concept. In the Netherlands we have a ridiculous rail network that is hopelessly outdated (partly was). Distances of several hundred kilometers should be cheapest and cleanest by train.

At longer distances it is difficult to beat a plane. A return ticket to New York for 400-600 euros would not yet be possible with a direct highway by car. You also lose a lot more per ship because you are on the road for days and, as mentioned above, you have to be looked after all the time.

The risks of passenger transport are also slightly different than with parcels. Who cares if your timbuktu sneakers break in a crash, too bad but replaceable.

Take that crazy hyperloop, how are you ever going to get it cost-efficient? The Netherlands in particular would benefit from a metro system, as it should be underground and with a coverage of 80% of the Netherlands. That would solve the traffic jam problem, CO2 and various other environmental problems are suddenly a thing of the past. However, this is not going to happen either, it also costs a lot of money but seems to me much cheaper than a hyperloop.

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