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Íñigo de la Serna with Adif and Railway Innovation Hub Spain representatives.
Plans to use Antequera rail test track for Virgin Hyperloop train

Plans to use Antequera rail test track for Virgin Hyperloop train

The multinational is also considering using the abandoned platform from the disused railway line between Antequera and Sevilla

I. LILLO / A. J. GUERRERO

Friday, 11 May 2018, 10:10

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Representatives from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Adif and an entity called 'The Railway Innovation Hub', a business conglomerate with headquarters in the Railway Technology Centre of Andalucía's Technology Park, met on Wednesday to discuss the potential of Virgin Hyperloop testing in Spain, according to Íñigo de la Serna, a government minister. Among the facilities mentioned was the Antequera rail test track, which was due to be built as three loops of railway track totalling 35 miles in length before the plans were shelved by the previous minister, Ana Pastor, in 2016.

De la Serna has said that we are holding negotiations, meetings and conferences that I have participated in, but we still have to wait for a final outcome. He highlighted that the project was an excellent opportunity because the project is currently the only one of its kind in the world, and explained that representatives of Hyperloop have been to Spain and visited the existing facilities. De la Serna has highlighted the project's potential to modernise Spanish infrastructure.

Directors from the North American company have also held meetings with representatives from the Junta where they have discussed using the abandoned platform of the disused line between Antequera and Seville, where there are currently 77 kilometres of railway track, according to sources.

The project, if it goes ahead, would lead to the creation of the first Hyperloop testing and maintenance centre in Europe, controlled by the multinational Virgin, although conceived of by the founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, who plans to create a vacuum transport system that will operate at speeds of up to 1,200 km/h.

The mayor of Antequera, Manuel Barón, has declared the project excellent news for the town.

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