Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021

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INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED RESEARCHES
and Volume 05
ENGINEERING JOURNAL Issue 01

e-ISSN: 2618-575X April, 2021

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Review Article

Comparison of conventional high speed railway, maglev and hyperloop

transportation systems
Mehmet Nedim Yavuz a,* and Zübeyde Öztürk b
aMaltepe University,Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences,İstanbul and 34000,Turkey
bİstanbul Technical University,Faculty of Civil Engineering,İstanbul and 34000,Turkey

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article history: Increasing the speed of transportation has been a subject that human beings have been working
Received 16 September 2020 on for many years. Because of insufficient traffic corridors, the interest of more passenger in
Revised 19 December 2020 limited time and the advancement of railway technology, the high-speed ground transportation
Accepted 29 December 2020 systems have developed. Nowadays, these time-saving transportation systems are becoming
Keywords: important increasingly and systems that will ensure these are implemented and new ones are
Conventional high-speed being researched. High speed ground transportation systems can be divided into three categories:
railway Conventional high-speed railway, Maglev and Hyperloop transportation system. Within the
Hyperloop scope of this study, it is aimed to investigate the advantages and disadvantages aspects of high
Maglev
speed transportation systems by comparing in terms of speed, capacity, energy consumption,
cost and environmental effects. Conventional high-speed railways can provide high capacity,
comfort and safety and reliability thanks to enormous operational experience as regards other
systems. The Maglev technology can offer more remarkable travel times, energy efficient and
better operational performance. However, high investment cost and incompatibility with other
modes are seen the disadvantage features of this technology. The Hyperloop technology is a
considerable innovative transportation system which is popularized with publishing design
document by Elon Musk in 2013. Projected high-speed and appealing travel times can be
evaluated as the advantages of the Hyperloop transportation system. However, there are safety,
reliability, comfort and engineering design challenges to overcome in this technology. Taking
everything into consideration, the Hyperloop transportation system has potential to be an
alternative mode to other systems.

© 2021, Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal (IAREJ) and the Author(s).

1. Introduction system.
Increasing the speed of transportation has taken an In Conventional high-speed railway transportation
important place among the efforts of human being for a systems, steel-rail and steel-wheel technology is used.
long time. Because of incremental environmental impacts Conventional high-speed railways can be defined in
such as traffic jams, prolonged travel times, air pollution terms of infrastructure, rolling stock and operating
and noise caused by existing modes of transportation, conditions. With respect to minimum speed limitations, it
countries have changed transport policies. As a result of is described that a high-speed rail line allows to operate at
inadequate traffic corridors, the demand of more speeds of over 250 km/h for newly constructed lines or
passenger in shorter time and the evolution of the railway over 200 km/h on existing lines [2].
technology, the high-speed ground transportation systems Maglev technology is described as an abbreviation of
have developed [1]. High-speed ground transportation the word “magnetic levitation” which is a transportation
systems can be divided into three categories based on the system comprises of a vehicle that is lifted and pushing
type of technology which is used. These are Conventional by means of magnetic forces along a guideway without
high speed railway, Maglev and Hyperloop transportation physical contact. The main idea behind of Maglev

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +90 216 626 10 50 / 2495.

E-mail addresses: mehmetnedimyavuz@maltepe.edu.tr (M. N. Yavuz), ozturkzu@itu.edu.tr (Z. Öztürk)
ORCID: 0000-0001-9571-9146 (M. N. Yavuz), 0000-0002-2962-6459 (Z. Öztürk)
DOI: 10.35860/iarej.795779
This article is licensed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).
114 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021

technology is that the identical pole of magnets repels Contreras [11] reviews of features of three systems and
while opposite pole of magnets attracts each other. The emphasizes current and future challenges.
working principle of the Maglev train is based on three The study of Armağan [12] presents a review of the
basic principles. These are magnetic levitation, lateral Hyperloop transportation system. In the study, safety,
guiding and propulsion principle. resistance of weather and earthquake are remarked as the
Although the Hyperloop transportation framework was advantage side of Hyperloop. However, in terms of the
brought to public attention in 2013 by Elon Musk as a cost issue, this technology is remarked as expensive.
fifth mode of transportation after car, airplane, train and In the scope of this study, it is aimed to reveal
ship, the idea of this technology dates back to 1900s. In advantage and disadvantage aspects of three
1910s, the American rocket pioneer Robert Goddard transportation systems by comparing in terms of speed,
proposed a floating train was named as vactrain (vacuum capacity, energy consumption, cost and environmental
train) inside a vacuum-sealed tunnel from Boston to New impacts. The contribution of this paper is to highlight
York [3,4]. The idea was popularized by Elon Musk with benefits and challenges of these three high speed
introducing Hyperloop Alpha concept. The main transportation systems by presenting state of art review.
philosophy of Hyperloop technology is that movement of
the capsules in lower pressurized tube by means of linear
2. Conventional High Speed Railways
asynchronous motors fed by solar energy. The goal is to
reach supersonic speed (1220 km/h) by minimizing air Due to rapid urbanization process across the globe,
resistance and friction [5]. congestion and inadequate capacity in existing highway
There are many previous studies on these types of and airway modes of transportation, have enabled
transportation system. While most of these studies Conventional high speed railways to be promoted in
compare Maglev and Conventional high speed railway transport policies. Moreover, reduced travel times thanks
from different technical aspects, few studies aim to to high speed offered by Conventional high speed
contrast these three types of transportation system railways, as well as providing a safe and comfortable trip
together. In the study of Liu and Deng [1], the aim is to have increased the popularity of high speed railway
compare of Maglev and Conventional high speed railway system [1].
system from operating perspective given corridor from It is not possible that define Conventional high speed
Beijing to Shanghai. As a result of this study, the positive railway based on only one factor. The high-speed railway
and negative sides of both transportation systems are technology is a complex system that consists of many
overviewed in order to select the proper technology for components such as infrastructure, rolling stock,
giving corridor. telecommunication, operating conditions and equipment
In the master thesis [6], Maglev and Conventional high etc. According to European Union Directive 96/48/EC
speed railway systems are analyzed and contrasted to Annex 1, in terms of infrastructure, it is defined as
improve current transportation networks in the United building track specially or upgraded for high speed travel.
States of America. The results indicate that Maglev In terms of minimum speed limit, it is defined as
technology has more positive sides than Conventional minimum speed of 250 km/h for newly constructed lines
high speed system. In the other master thesis [7], three and about 200 km/h on existing lines which have been
high speed transportation systems are evaluated in terms particularly promoted. This must apply to at any rate
of energy consumption and sustainability. The simulation segment of the track. Regarding to operating conditions,
results show that Hyperloop system is best high-speed rolling stock needs to be designed along its infrastructure
transportation system with regard to consuming and for whole compatibility [2].
regenerating of energy. The history of conventional high speed railway traced
In the study of Çodur [8], features of Maglev back to 1964 with the opening of Tokaido Shinkansen in
technology and its applications in terms of cost around Japan. After Shinkansen enormous success, many
the word are included. As a result of this study, it is European countries, especially France, Germany, Italy
concluded that at which distances Maglev technology is developed new technologies in order to increase share of
more feasible. railway in the transportation sector. France in 1981, Italy
The study [9], comprises of features and history of and Germany in 1988, Spain in 1992, China in 2003,
three transportation systems. It evaluates challenges of Turkey and Netherland in 2009 opened first high-speed
application about three systems. lines all around world. As a result of huge investment by
Janić [10] evaluates the three transportation systems, China, this country has a largest conventional railway
assuming corridor between Moscow-St. Petersburg. It is network in today [2].
indicated that Hyperloop system can be an alternative to Nowadays, there are tens of thousand kilometer lines in
Transrapid Maglev and Conventional high speed rail. operation or plan from different countries around the
 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021 115

world. Table 1 presents that the total current length of

high-speed lines of some countries according to
International Union of Railway (UIC) data in 2020.

3. Maglev Technology
The Maglev term is an abbreviation of “magnetic
levitation”. Magnetic levitation is defined as a
transportation system consisting of a vehicle that is lifted
and pushed with help of magnetic forces along a guideway
without physical contact.
The main working principle of Maglev trains is based on
Figure 1. Comparison of EMS and EDS [16]
repelling of equal polar magnets and attraction of opposite
polar magnets each other. Magnetic levitation, lateral
Table 2. Comparison of maglev technology types [16]
guiding and propulsion functions are provided by means of
magnetic force. The force generated by electromagnets EMS EDS
creates a distance of approximately 1 centimeter between Using of conventional Using of superconducting
the guideway and bottom of the train. The distance between magnets magnets
train and guideway is controlled precisely. Owing to lateral About 15 mm air gap About 15 cm air gap
guiding, the lateral stability and straddling of the train are between train and between train and
ensured. The forward motion and braking of train are same guideway guideway
principle as the electric motor. Motor windings lined along Need precise control Less sensitive to
guideway acts as a stator and electromagnets on the train systems earthquake
acts as a rotor. The alternating current supplied to motor Work at all speeds Only work at minimum
windings creates a magnetic field that moves the train. speed about 30 km/h
The speed of Maglev trains can be adjusted depending on Less energy consumption Reaching higher speeds
the frequency of the alternating current supplied. Braking
and stopping of the train are performed by generating a
Table 3. Existing maglev lines around world [17]
magnetic force in the opposite direction [14, 15].
There are two major types of Maglev technology. These Country/City Line Opening Length
are Electromagnetic Suspension System (EMS) and
Electrodynamic Suspension System (EDS). Fundamentally, (km)
while EMS uses magnetic attraction force to move in the air, China, Shanghai Airport 2004 30.5
magnetic repulsion force is used in EDS system (Figure 1). Maglev
Table 2 summarizes that difference of Maglev technology Japan, Nagoya Linimo 2005 8.9
types. Metro
The history of Maglev train can be dated from 1934 with South Korea, Museum 2008 1
the patent of Hermann Kemper from Germany. In the past Daejeon Maglev
few decades since then, as a result of human endeavor’s, South Korea, Airport 2016 6.1
first commercial Maglev line is opened in Shanghai [18]. Incheon Maglev
There are six commercial Maglev lines around world by the China, Changsha Airport 2016 18.6
year of 2020 (Table 3) [17]. Maglev
China, Beijing S1 Metro 2017 10.2
Table 1. The lengths of conventional high speed lines of some
countries from around world [13]
4. Hyperloop
Country In Operation Under Total
(km) Const.(km) (km) The Hyperloop technology was announced in a design
China 35,388 5,250 40,638 document called Hyperloop Alpha as a new high-speed
Japan 3,041 402 3,443 transportation concept in 2013 by Elon Musk, CEO of
France 2,734 - 2,734 SpaceX and Tesla companies. This new system is based on
Germany 1,571 147 1,718 the movement of the capsule with the help of linear
Italy 921 327 1,248 electromagnetic motors through tube with low air pressure
Spain 3,330 1,293 4,623 at similar or higher speeds than air travel. It is stated that
Turkey 594 1,652 2,246 Hyperloop can travel between Los Angeles and San
USA 735 763 1,528 Francisco in 35 minutes [5].
116 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021

three high speed transportation systems can be

categorized as listed below;
• General comparison of three transportation systems
in terms of speed, capacity, compatibility of system
etc.
• Comparison in terms of geometric standards
• Comparison in terms of cost
• Comparison in terms of energy consumption
• Comparison in terms of environmental effects
Figure 2. Hyperloop vacuum tube design [3]
5.1 General Comparison of Transportation Systems
The main working principle of this emerging technology
is to minimize air friction in a vacuum tube with Travel time is one of the most important parameters
magnetically levitated capsule. The Hyperloop technology that cause passengers to choose one mode of
consists of vehicle (capsule) which is used for passenger or transportation instead of another. The design and
cargo transportation, vacuum tube and propulsion system. operating speed of each mode of transportation play vital
The capsule is the main component of Hyperloop role in terms of travel time. While design speed is
technology responsible for passenger or cargo transport. generally dependent on infrastructure, maximum
Due to the targeted high speed, use of wheels is not operating speed varies depending on technical
possible in capsule design. The shape of capsule is chosen characteristics and operating models of the train. The
so that there is a minimal resistance to air friction during average speed is defined as track length divided by total
movement. The Hyperloop route consists of a cylinder travel time.
vacuum tube. It is proposed to reduce the cost of Table 4 shows that a comparison of the design speed,
construction and keep the required construction area size to operating speed and average speed of Shanghai Maglev,
a minimum, vacuum tube is built on columns that are TGV, ICE high speed railway trains and Hyperloop. For the
constructed at intervals (Figure 2). In order to speed up and Hyperloop transportation system, speed values which are
slow down the capsule, the linear asynchronous motor stipulated in the Alpha report were used. It is desired to
would be used. The stationary motor element (stator) would make comparison based on Table 4, Maglev technology has
be constructed at various positions along the length of the advantage over Conventional high speed railways in terms
tube to accelerate the capsule, while the movable motor of maximum operating speed. Although there is not a
element (rotor) would be placed in capsules to transfer commercially operated line with Hyperloop, development
momentum to the capsule through linear accelerators [5]. studies on speed continue. Currently, the highest speed pod
The Hyperloop Alpha design document which was which is nearly 463 km/h, is acquired by a team from
announced by Elon Musk in 2013, attracted great Technical University of Munich during the Hyperloop pod
attention worldwide. After releasing of design document, competition [20]. If desired speeds would be reached, the
many companies and academic teams were established to Hyperloop transportation system could be the most
work on the Hyperloop technology. Some of these advantageous type of transportation.
prominent companies; Hyperloop One, Hyperloop Capacity is a parameter that affects the choice of types
Transportation Technologies, Delft Hyperloop, Hardt of transportation system by passenger. The capacity of a
Hyperloop etc. In this context, the first test track called railway line can be determined by factors such as the
DevLoop was built by Hyperloop One company in the number of passenger per train section, the number of train
Nevada desert in the north of Las Vegas. This test track is section and headway. While these factors mostly depend
approximately 500 meters long, and it is used to test on technical characteristics, concepts such as population
prototypes of passenger and cargo capsules [19]. While density and passenger demand, have a role in determining
the United States mostly leads work on the Hyperloop the capacity of the line. When comparing among
technology, countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Conventional high speed trains with regarding capacity,
India, France and Netherlands are conducting research Shinkansen trains stand out as the highest capacity train.
and studies on the application of this system to their own While the Shanghai Maglev train has a capacity of 574
countries. passengers, 28 passengers per capsule is proposed in the
Hyperloop transportation system. [5, 21].
5. Comparison of Transportation Systems Table 5 shows that comparison of evaluated
transportation systems in terms of capacity and headway.
It is possible to compare Conventional high speed The value of capacity in the table, is obtained as
railway, Maglev and Hyperloop transportation systems maximum passenger per hour in one direction.
from different technical aspects. Comparison of these
 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021 117

Table 4. Comparison in terms of speed [1, 5] Maglev transportation system offer a safe and
comfortable trip. In the Hyperloop concept, although
Speed TGV ICE Shanghai Hyperloop
there are concerns in terms of comfort at the targeted
(km/h) Maglev
sound levels, there is no data that can be compared since
Design 350 330 550 1220
there is no commercially operated Hyperloop line for
Speed (theoretical)
now.
Operating 300 280 430 Not
Speed Available 5.2 Comparison in terms of Geometric Standards
Average 250 200 290 965
Track geometry is a very important factor for train
Speed (theoretical)
behavior. The notions related to track geometry can be
sorted as track gauge, cant, transition curve, horizontal
Table 5. Comparison in terms of capacity, headway [1, 5]
and vertical curve radius, longitudinal grade. In case of
Type TGV-D SKS- Shanghai Hyper comparing with regarding geometric standards, Maglev
E4 Maglev loop and Hyperloop have advantages such as moving at the
Number of 12 16 6 1 capsule lower curve radius with the same speed and travelling at
Section higher speeds in the same curve radius, and climbing
Seat 1090 1634 574 28 higher slopes compared to Conventional high speed
Capacity railways (Table 6) [22].
Headway 5 3 15 2 In the Hyperloop Alpha study report, in order to
(min) control g-force which arises from acceleration-
Capacity 13080 32680 2296 840 deceleration and change of direction, the velocity plan
and optimum horizontal curve radius were stated in a
It is observed that Conventional high speed trains are table. This table is obtained based on minimizing the
advantageous in terms of capacity based on data in Table effects of g-force, curvature radius and speeds specific to
5. terrain between San Francisco and Los Angeles and the
When the three modes of transportation are evaluated maximum 0.5 g force on passengers. These values are
in terms of the compatibility of the system, Conventional given in Table 7.
high-speed railways have a superior advantage over the In the comparison of cant, the maximum allowable
Maglev and Hyperloop transportation systems, thanks to value in the Conventional high speed railways is taken as
offering the opportunity to use existing infrastructure and 180 mm. In the Maglev transportation system, cant is not
thus connect with existing rail networks. Since Hyperloop represented in mm. The maximum allowable cant is 12°
and Maglev transportation systems have their own special equivalent to approximately 310 mm. In some
tracks, it is not possible to work with other available exceptional cases, it can be increased to 16°, that is
modes. This feature can be shown as one of the approximately 410 mm. This advantage enables Maglev
disadvantages of Hyperloop and Maglev transportation to increase alignment flexibility according to
systems. Conventional high speed railway [23]. In the Hyperloop
Conventional high speed railway is a type of Alpha report, there is not information about cant. It is a
transportation that has proven itself in terms of safety and one of the uncertain issues for Hyperloop technology.
reliability, along with lines operating in many countries Table 8 compares the minimum vertical curve radius
around the world. To illustrate, Shinkansen trains from that Conventional high speed railways and Maglev
Japan, TGV trains from France and ICE trains from transportation systems should provide at given speeds.
Germany have been serving passengers safely and
comfortably for years .In the Maglev transportation Table 6. Comparison in terms of horizontal curve radius (m) [22]
system, it is designed to largely eliminate security risks. Design Speed ICE-03 Transrapid
Examples of these design patterns are the train's motion (km/h) Maglev
with wrapping guide-way and precise control of the Max. Side 1 m/s2 1,5 m/s2
distance between the train and the guide-way. No fatal Acceleration
accident has occurred since the Shanghai Maglev line 200 1400 705
was commissioned. In the Hyperloop transportation 250 2250 1100
system, the design is planned to be done so that the tube
300 3200 1590
and capsule are not affected by natural disasters such as
350 - 2160
earthquakes. When evaluating in terms of passenger
400 - 2825
comfort, safety and reliability among three modes of
450 - 3580
transportation, Conventional high-speed railways and the
118 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021

Table 7. Minimum horizontal curve radius in Hyperloop [5] topography of land has an effect on this difference, the
construction method also emerges as an important factor
Track Route Design Speed Min. horizontal
[24].
(km/h) curve radius (m)
Maglev transport type has higher construction costs than
L.Angeles- 480 3670
Conventional high-speed rail due to the completely separate
Grapevine South
right of way, construction of special facilities and
L.Angeles- 890 12550
incompatible with existing transportation systems.
Grapevine North
The fact that Maglev trains cannot run on normal train
I-580/San 1220 23500
tracks that theyare not compatible with the existing railway
Francisco Bay
infrastructure that they require a completely new line are
Table 8. Comparison in terms of vertical curve radius (m) [22] important factors that increase the construction cost.
In the Hyperloop technology, the construction cost
Design Speed ICE-03 Transrapid Maglev covers the construction of the guiding line, capsule
(km/h) production, station construction costs. The Hyperloop
Crest Sag Crest Sag Alpha report foresees a construction cost of approximately
Max. Vertical 0,5 0,6 0,6 1,2 $ 6 billion for the passenger-carrying version alone and
2 2 2
Acceleration m/s m/s m/s m/s2 $ 7.5 billion for the passenger + vehicle version [5]. It is not
200 6400 5200 5150 2600 included earthwork and special station costs in this cost
300 14400 11700 11600 5790 estimation. Additionally, a current project between Dubai
330 17400 14200 14000 7000 and Abu Dhabi, which is planned to be completed soon, it
400 - - 20600 10300 is estimated to cost between $ 20 million to $ 40 million per
450 - - 26000 13000 kilometer [25].
When comparing the average construction costs between
For the Hyperloop technology, the vertical curve radius these transportation systems, it is seen that the highest
is not explicitly given in the Alpha design document. construction costs per kilometer belong to the Maglev mode
However, in order to diminish earthworks, pipelines are of transport. According to stipulated costs in the Hyperloop
constructed as compatible with road geometry. Therefore, Alpha report, the Hyperloop transportation system has a
the grade of vertical curve will not exceed %6 according lower construction cost than Maglev. After construction of
to the AASHTO highway specification. the track, operation and maintenance costs come into play.
Maglev train can be operated at very high speeds without
5.3 Comparison in terms of Cost any deterioration and therefore it is more economical to
Cost plays an important role in selecting and evaluating operate than Conventional high-speed railways that require
any mode of transportation. There are different cost regular maintenance. Transrapid Maglev has fully
concepts such as construction, operating and maintaining automatic operation and is driverless. For this reason,
cost for a mode of transport. The cost of construction personnel costs which are a component of operating costs,
includes the cost of constructing the line and stations, the are expected to be lower than Conventional high speed
train control system, and the purchase of the trains. The railways. Another positive feature of the Maglev
operating cost includes the expenses required to keep the transportation system is that maintenance costs are lower
line operating. Maintenance costs include the necessary than Conventional high speed railways.
expenses to operate the line properly and efficiently. Table 9. Comparison in terms of construction cost [5,22]
It is seen that the construction cost of Conventional high
speed railways varies around the world. The total Route Transport Cost Length Cost per km
construction cost of a mode of transport depends on the Mode (billion $) (km) (million $)
chosen technology, design speed, land topography, land Tokyo- HSR 0,92 570 1,6
acquisition requirements, the need for special structures and Osaka
auxiliary facilities. To illustrate, in the study conducted on Paris-Lyon HSR 2,06 1000 2,06
45 projects, it is seen that the construction costs of Madrid- HSR 10,62 620 17,12
Conventional high speed railways vary between 6 and 45 Barcelona
million Euros per kilometer. The average cost was found to Beijing- HSR 35,80 1432 25
be 17.5 million Euros. It is occurred that Conventional high Shanghai
speed railway construction costs in the Asian continent are Shanghai Maglev 1,58 30 52,67
higher than in the European continent. For the European Linimo Maglev 0,92 8,8 104,77
continent, the construction costs in France and Spain are L.Angeles- Hyper 6 563 10,66
slightly lower than in Germany and Italy. Although the California loop
 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021 119

Since Maglev trains move in suspension along the resistance. In general, the Maglev transportation system
guideway, wear and tear damage caused by wheels in high consumes 20-30% less energy than Conventional high
speed railways are eliminated. Since the acceleration and speed railways. Convenient aerodynamic features and non-
deceleration of Maglev trains are provided by the magnetic contact technology make Maglev cost-effective about
force created by electromagnets, there is no contact with the energy consumption. In the Hyperloop Alpha study report,
rail. it is emphasized that Hyperloop technology will operate
Since there is no friction between the rail and the train, entirely with solar energy. Therefore, it is expected to have
the maintenance cost of the rail is very low and frequent less energy consumption than Maglev and Conventional
repairs and controls are not required. high speed railways. However, since there is no operational
In evaluating the Hyperloop operating cost, the energy experience in the Hyperloop transportation system yet, it is
consumption cost is expected to be low as the energy not known exactly how much the energy consumption will
requirement will be met by solar panels installed on tubes. be. In the figure 4, it is given comparison of Conventional
Due to the fact that the system has a fully automatic high speed railways and Maglev trains in terms of energy
operation, personnel cost can be considered as minimum. In consumption at certain speeds.
the Hyperloop transportation system, the maintenance cost When the energy consumption values of Conventional
is expected to be low due to the lack of mechanical friction high speed railways and Maglev trains are compared at 330
and weather protection as in the Maglev system. Although km / h, the Transrapid Maglev train has the lowest energy
there is not operating experience of Hyperloop technology, consumption with 45 Watt hours / seat / km, while the ICE-
the operating plans are expected to similar by airplanes. 3 train has 59 Watt-hour / seat / km has the highest energy
However, the security checks and terminal waiting times consumption. As a result, it is seen that Maglev train has
will be shorter and maintenance cost will be less than approximately 31% less energy consumption than
aircraft. Conventional high speed railways (Figure 4).
From Figure 3, comparing the Germany ICE high-speed
train and the Maglev Transrapid train in terms of 5.5 Comparison in terms of Environmental Effects
maintenance costs; the Maglev transportation system has In recent years, concerns about environmental effects of
about 59%less regarding to the maintenance cost of the the transportation sector have been increasing. Due to being
train, 71% less of the maintenance cost of the guide-way environmentally friendly of the rail transport system, it has
and totally66% less maintenance cost than the Conventional an advantage over other transport modes.
high-speed railway.
In the context of ticket fee, it is indicated as
approximately $ 20 for one trip according to Elon Musk’s
math in the design document. Moreover, a study which is
about the proposed route between Pittsburg and Chicago,
ticket fee is stated approximately $60 [27]. However, the
single ticket cost of Shanghai Maglev is 50 yuan, which
equals approximately $8[28]. In the light of this information,
it can be commented that ticket cost of Hyperloop will be
higher than Maglev.

5.4 Comparison in terms of Energy Consumption

The transportation sector is an important source of Figure 3.Comparison of maintenance cost [26]
greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, new
technologies that reduce energy consumption in the
transport sector are supported. Examples of these
technologies are weight reduction (producing lighter trains,
etc.), energy efficient driving techniques, reducing
aerodynamic friction, and regenerative braking system.
Electricity is used as an energy source in both conventional
high-speed railways and Maglev.
In the Hyperloop technology, it is planned to meet the
energy need with solar panels built on tubes. The Maglev
train is much more economical compared to Conventional
high speed railways, without contact with the guideway,
high efficiency linear motor and low aerodynamic Figure 4. Energy consumption in Wh/Seat/km [29]
120 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021

It is possible to divide the environmental impacts of Thanks to non-contact technology in the Maglev
Conventional high speed railways, Maglev and Hyperloop transportation system, the Maglev train causes less
transportation types into sub-headings such as land use, vibration than Conventional high-speed trains. In the
noise, vibration. Hyperloop transportation system, as the capsule is aimed to
The amount of land using depends on the type of move in the air inside the tube, it is predicted that the
transport system and the way the guideway is built. At vibration level would be lower than Conventional high-
grade tracks with land, consumes land which is below the speed trains.
track as well as catenary and signal poles are located next to
it. 6. Results and Discussion
However, elevated track only uses the land holding These three high speed transportation systems are
columns supporting the track. The land below elevated compared with regarding different factors such as speed,
track can be used for different purposes. As a result, capacity, compatibility of the system, geometric standards
elevated tracks have advantage in land using compared to cost, energy consumption and environmental effects in
track which is at grade with land. In the Maglev Table 11.
transportation type, lines are generally constructed as raised When it is made an evaluation based on parameters that
with columns. Therefore, Maglev transportation type has are compared between examined transportation types;
less land use than Conventional high-speed railways. In the Hyperloop and Maglev transportation system have
Hyperloop concept, although the land use is not known due advantage over Conventional high speed railways in terms
to lack of operational experience, as the construction of speed, travel time, acceleration and braking rates. To
method is similar to the Maglev, it is predicted to use less illustrate, the route between San Francisco and Los Angeles
land compared to Conventional high speed railways. The takes 130 minutes with California high speed train, 116
Maglev transportation system has a distinct advantage over minutes by Maglev train and 35 minutes by Hyperloop
Conventional high speed railways in terms of land use in capsule. If target speed values for the Hyperloop concept
mountainous areas. Hyperloop transportation type is could be reached, the Hyperloop technology would have a
predicted to have land use values close to Maglev serious advantage in speed and travel time parameters.
transportation type in terms of land use (Table 10). If it is evaluated in terms of capacity and headway
Noise is a problem not only for passengers, but also for parameters, it is seen that Conventional high speed railways
those living near the line corridor. Significant progress has have a significant advantage over Maglev and Hyperloop.
been made in the control and mitigation of transport noise For instances, in the light of the data in Table 5, the
in recent years. Noise emissions can be grouped as noise maximum passenger capacity value per hour in one
from propulsion system, mechanical noise from wheel-rail direction for Conventional high speed railways is
interaction or guideway vibrations, and aerodynamic noise. approximately 14 times of the Maglev and approximately
Aerodynamic noise prevails at higher speeds, while at 38 times of the Hyperloop.
lower speeds (speeds below about 200 km/h) noise from the In terms of compatibility of the system, Maglev and
propulsion system or machinery is dominant. In the Maglev Hyperloop transportation system are not compatible with
system, mechanical noise is not observed at low speeds existing lines because it requires its own special line
since physical contact is eliminated with non-contact structure. The Conventional high speed railway has
technology. advantage over other types of transportation thanks to their
When the noise levels are compared at different speeds, compatibility with existing lines.
it appears that Maglev technology is quieter than the When it is analyzed in terms of safety, reliability and
Conventional high speed railway at speeds of 200-300 km/h. comfort, Conventional high-speed railways offer
In the Hyperloop concept, it is prevented noise from comfortable and safe travel to millions of passenger in
moving the capsule thanks to low air pressure inside the many countries since the first high-speed rail line in Japan
tube. The sole possible source of noise is caused by vacuum was commissioned in 1964.In the Maglev transportation
pumps however; it is assumed to be minor [31]. type, no accident was reported on the Shanghai Maglev line
since 2004 and other urban lines operated in other countries.
Table 10. Comparison of land using [30]
In the matter of geometric standards, Maglev and
Type HSR Maglev Hyper Hyperloop have advantages such as moving at lower radius
loop of curves at the same speed compared to Conventional high
Average 26,2 23,2 Similar speed railways, and being able to travel at higher speeds in
Land (Plain) (Plain) with the same curve radius, and to climb higher slopes. Likewise,
Consume 43,5 24,4 Maglev the maximum allowed cant value is higher.
(m2/m) (Hilly) (Hilly)
 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021 121

Table 11. Summarizing comparison parameters

System Features Conventional HSR Maglev Hyperloop (HL)
Maximum Speed (km/h) 241 Acela (Boston to Newyork) 430 (Shanghai) 1220 (theoretical)
270 TGV (Paris to Lyon)
Capacity 1000 per train 574 per Shanghai 28 per capsule
(California HSR) Maglev train
Use of existing infrastructure New lines combined with existing Need special track Need special track
lines
Construction Cost Lower than Maglev and higher than Higher than HSR Lower than HSR (likely)
HL (likely)
Operating and Maintenance Higher than Maglev and HL Lower than HSR Lower than HSR (likely)
Cost
Energy Consumption Higher than Maglev and HL Less than HSR Solar panels
Less than HSR (likely)
Safety Proven technology Proven technology At concept stage
Noise and Vibration Higher than Maglev and HL Less than HSR Less than HSR (likely)
Land Consume Higher than Maglev and HL Less than HSR Less than HSR

It is seen that highest construction cost belongs to the Moreover, thanks to the contactless technology used in
Maglev transportation type. Incompatibility with existing the Maglev and Hyperloop transportation system, less noise
lines and high construction costs can be considered as and vibration values are achieved.
negative aspects of the Maglev transportation system. In the Finally, in this section, the used references in this study
Hyperloop Alpha report, the total construction cost of the are categorized as economic analysis, engineering design
563-kilometer route between San Francisco and Los and environmental issues. The classification and
Angeles is stated as $ 6 billion. It should be noted that comparison of references are given in a table (Table 12).
earthworks and construction of special station are not
included in this cost estimation. Taking this average cost 7. Conclusions
into consideration, the Hyperloop transportation system is Scientific and technological research continue throughout
cheaper than the Conventional high speed railway in terms the world to develop increasingly faster transportation
of construction cost. However, cost issue is one of systems. As a result of these studies, after the Conventional
challenges to overcome for the Hyperloop transportation high-speed railways, which are operated in many countries
system. around the world and offer millions of passengers the
Since Maglev train and Hyperloop capsule move without opportunity of fast and comfortable travel, Maglev
contact with guideway, the maintenance cost is less than technology pioneered by Japan and Germany, and finally a
Conventional high speed railways. new mode of transportation called as Hyperloop was
It is made a comparison based on energy consumption, introduced with Hyperloop Alpha report by Elon Musk in
Maglev trains consume 20-30% less energy than 2013. Within the scope of this study, the advantages and
Conventional high speed trains thanks to aerodynamic disadvantages of three transportation systems against each
feature of train and contactless technology. In the other were examined. As a result, although Hyperloop
Hyperloop Alpha report, it is stated that Hyperloop capsule technology is a highly innovative mode of transportation,
would run entirely on solar energy. As a result, Hyperloop works on the development of the technology continue.
mode of transport would be expected to have less energy The projected low construction cost, speed and minimum
consumption than Maglev and Conventional high speed rail. environmental impacts made it stand out among the
When evaluating in terms of the land using, Maglev and transportation types studied.
Hyperloop transportation types are designed as elevated Reliability and comfort uncertainty due to not having
tracks. Thus, savings in the land use are provided. operational experience yet, and the lack of capacity appear
to be the negative aspects of this type of transportation.
Table 12. Comparison and classification of references Taking all parameters into consideration, it is demonstrated
Major Economic Engineering Environmental that Hyperloop transportation system can be an alternative
Areas Analysis Design Issues to Conventional high speed railways and Maglev.
[5], [22], [1], [2], [5],
[24], [25], [5], [29]
Ref. [14],[15],[16] Declaration
[26], [27], [30], [31]
[21],[22],[23]
[28], [29] The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest
122 Yavuz and Öztürk, International Advanced Researches and Engineering Journal 05(01): 113-122, 2021

with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication Mechanics, 2013, 13 (7-A).
of this article. The authors also declared that this article is 15. Solak, K. Raylı Sistemlerin Alternatifleri ile Manyetik
original, was prepared in accordance with international Yastık Üzerinde Hareket Eden Trenlerin (Maglev) Çok
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