What is Delft Hyperloop? The Student Team Driving Musk’s Hyperloop Vision

At Delft University of Technology, a new team of students steps up each year to drive the Delft Hyperloop project forward, tackling the complex challenges of high-speed, sustainable travel. Despite being a student-led initiative, their groundbreaking innovations—like the world’s first lane-switching Hyperloop pod—have placed them in direct competition with established companies. The GlassRoom met with Lara Sijsma and Zoë Both. 

Delfts Dream Hall

Delft Hyperloop is one of the eight student innovation groups known as "Dream Teams" at Delft University of Technology. For the academic year 2024-2025, the team consists of 40 students from 14 different nationalities, each bringing varied expertise to the project.

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Annual Renewal 

A distinctive feature of Delft Hyperloop is its yearly turnover of team members. Each new group inherits the work of its predecessors, adding their own innovations. “We put our blood, sweat, and tears into it, and the previous team did the same for us,” said team member Both. According to her, this approach ensures continuity while fostering new ideas and progress with each successive year.

Focus on Innovation 

Delft Hyperloop concentrates on addressing specific technical challenges within the broader Hyperloop concept. While major companies focus on large-scale Hyperloop systems, the student team works on practical innovations. For example, the team made headlines last year by introducing the first lane-switching mechanism for Hyperloop pods, a development that could significantly improve system flexibility and efficiency.

Origins and Goals 

The Delft Hyperloop team was created in 2012 as part of the SpaceX-Hyperloop competition, which sought innovative solutions to Elon Musk’s idea of a fifth mode of transportation. Hyperloop technology uses magnetic levitation to propel a pod through a near-vacuum tube, allowing for frictionless, high-speed travel. The idea promises not only to revolutionize transportation, but to do so in an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient way.

European Hyperloop Week

This year, the European Hyperloop Week (EHW) in Veendam, Groningen, marks a pivotal moment with the construction of a 420-meter standardized test track—the first of its kind for the competition. While teams can still opt to build their own tracks, Delft Hyperloop sees the value in using the standardized one. “It’s a big step for hyperloop development,” Sijsma said. "Having a shared track creates consistency, but it also means less time for testing. Our pod needs to be scaled up, which presents challenges, but it’s important for making the project more realistic." This move reflects the future vision of hyperloop, where a single track would serve multiple pods across countries.

Competing with Industry Leaders 

Delft Hyperloop competes on an international stage for events like European Hyperloop Week, which has shifted focus from speed to practical innovation and presentation. The event allows university teams worldwide to showcase their full-scale pods and technological advancements. Despite being a student-led initiative, Delft Hyperloop’s contributions have positioned them alongside some of the leading companies in the Hyperloop industry, according to team member Sijsma.