Hyper4Rail at InnoTrans 2026
Hyper4Rail presented its first project results to an international transport audience at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin.
Two dedicated Hyper4Rail presentations took place at the joint Hyperloop Development Program and TUM Hyperloop stand. Luca Sandel (EuroTube Foundation) presented “Converging on Europe’s Hyperloop: The Harmonised Technical Concept”, explaining how the project is assessing the trade-offs between different technical concepts and how a harmonised design concept could look across the hyperloop vehicle, infrastructure and different operating conditions.
Dr Chrysostomos Mylonas (CERTH) presented “A European Hyperloop Network: The Financial and Socio-Economic Case”, sharing first results from Hyper4Rail’s network and business case analysis. The study explores how hyperloop could complement high-speed rail by providing an ultra-high-speed layer for longer-distance travel, where aviation currently plays a dominant role. Based on a European reference network of around 11,200 km, the analysis points to the potential for substantial modal shift from intra-European short haul aviation while strengthening connectivity between major European hubs. It also indicates a positive financial and socio-economic case, with the reference scenario showing a Financial Net Present Value of around €18 billion and an Economic Net Present Value of around €197 billion.
Both topics were presented again on Friday as part of the Hyperloop Conference 2026, which brought together representatives from research, industry and European institutions to discuss the next steps towards a European hyperloop roadmap.
The conference also featured a high-level panel with Giorgio Travaini, Executive Director of Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, and Íñigo Cruz-Martinez from the European Commission’s DG MOVE, alongside representatives from the hyperloop ecosystem and industry.
Giorgio Travaini highlighted the importance of considering rail and hyperloop as complementary parts of the future European transport system, both from an operational and a technological perspective. He pointed to the potential for cross-fertilisation and technology transfer between the two modes, with technological developments and experience in one potentially benefiting the other. Looking ahead, he also addressed the next Europe’s Rail-supported activities focusing on hyperloop safety, underlining the importance of safety research as the technology progresses towards larger-scale demonstration and validation.
Íñigo Cruz-Martinez stressed the importance of the Hyper4Rail results in informing the next steps on the European hyperloop roadmap, providing an evidence base for the discussion on how the technology can progress towards future implementation.
The conference also reflected growing political and industrial momentum. In a video message, German Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär described hyperloop as a strategic opportunity for Europe and expressed a clear commitment to advancing its development. As a concrete next step, she highlighted the German Federal Government’s plans to develop a hyperloop reference line – an initiative that could also provide important impetus for the further development of hyperloop at European level.
Industry representatives at the conference stressed that moving towards a full-scale reference line would be critical for the next phase of development: bringing technologies together in an integrated system, gaining experience under real-world conditions and generating the evidence needed to move towards implementation. Such a step could help build momentum beyond Germany and contribute to the further development of a European hyperloop ecosystem.
The strong interest and discussions throughout InnoTrans provided an opportunity to share Hyper4Rail’s first results with a wider audience and connect the project’s research with the broader debate on the future development of hyperloop in Europe.