Spain is celebrating. The European standardisation organisations CEN and CENELEC have approved the creation of a new standardisation committee that will develop standards to guarantee the safety and interoperability of the new hyperloop transport systems throughout Europe.
The hyperloop is a safe, fast and energy-efficient transport system for transporting large numbers of people and goods between cities, countries and across a continent.
This is the first initiative in the world, led by Spain, to develop standards in hyperloop systems and has been promoted by the Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, in collaboration with the Dutch standardisation body NEN. UNE is the Spanish member of CEN and CENELEC, and represents Spanish organizations in European and international forums, where the standards that enable them to compete are developed.
A cross-European network of ultra-high-speed transportation, designed to reach speeds of 1,100 kilometres per hour, is coming closer to reality with the creation of the CEN-CENELEC/JTC 20 "Hyperloop Systems" committee.
SEOPAN (Association of Infrastructure Contractor and Concessionaires), a member of UNE, has been a driving force in this initiative, having supported the project since its origins. The project's technical collaborators are the team from the Spanish company Zeleros, who are developing a scalable hyperloop transport system, and ArcelorMittal, involved in infrastructure aspects.
CEN-CLC/JTC 20 will be structured into working groups focused on various components of the hyperloop systems, including vehicle systems, infrastructure, pipe components, general infrastructure and communications protocols. The consortium of hyperloop companies responsible for promoting the creation of the CEN-CLC/JTC 20 committee, together with members of several national standardisation organisations and industry experts, will participate in the working groups, contributing their technical expertise.
