On 17 January 2026, EPF organised a dedicated passenger workshop on the Hyper4Rail project during its General Meeting in Brussels. The session was held in a hybrid format, bringing together 22 participants, both in person and online, from across Europe, including representatives from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Slovenia, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The workshop formed part of EPF’s contribution to the Hyper4Rail project, funded under Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (Flagship Area 7), which explores Hyperloop-based concepts. The discussion followed a short project presentation and focused on gathering passenger perspectives to inform the ongoing development of the Concept of Operations (ConOps), the framework that defines how a future Hyperloop system would function in practice, including passenger experience, operations and integration with existing transport networks.

The objective of the session was not to assess the technology in isolation, but to reflect on it from a passenger perspective, asking what conditions would make such a system relevant, acceptable and valuable in the European mobility context.

Key insights from the discussion

Participants engaged constructively and highlighted several recurring themes:

  • Clear European use cases are essential – passengers see potential relevance particularly on longer-distance corridors where rail journeys exceed approximately four hours and aviation currently dominates. Any future system would need to demonstrate added value within the existing European rail landscape.
  • Affordability and inclusiveness are decisive – transparent pricing and accessible ticket costs were identified as fundamental conditions for public acceptance.
  • Integration matters – hyperloop would need to connect seamlessly with existing rail networks and urban transport systems to ensure true door-to-door travel benefits.
  • Comfort expectations align with high-speed rail standards – participants favoured smooth acceleration, guaranteed seating, adequate luggage space, toilets and reliable climate control as minimum requirements.
  • Psychological comfort is important – design aspects such as visual openness, orientation and reassurance were considered essential for passenger confidence, particularly on longer journeys.
  • Human presence remains key – despite the role of automation, participants emphasised the importance of staff for information, reassurance and disruption management.

Many of the themes raised during the workshop are already part of the ongoing design considerations within the Hyper4Rail project, demonstrating how passenger feedback is being actively integrated into the system development process.

Overall, the discussion demonstrated that passenger input plays a valuable role in shaping the development of innovative mobility concepts, including Hyperloop. As a passenger federation, EPF’s contribution to Hyper4Rail ensures that future system design remains aligned with European mobility values, including accessibility, inclusiveness and integration.

Help shape the future of Hyperloop

The Hyper4Rail project continues to gather passenger feedback through its  continuous user survey, ensuring that evolving passenger perspectives are reflected throughout the project.

If you have not yet had the opportunity to participate, there is still time to contribute.

Help Shape the Future of Hyperloop – Take the Hyper4Rail User Survey

Europe’s Rail’s Hyper4Rail project is working to bring Hyperloop concepts closer to reality in Europe. The ambition is to explore whether such systems could deliver significantly shorter travel times with low energy consumption, while aligning with Europe’s expectations for sustainable mobility.

To help design a system that reflects user expectations, Hyper4Rail has launched a user survey. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and includes simple questions covering travel habits, comfort expectations and preferences.

👉 Take the survey here.

If you have not yet had a chance to add your perspective, we encourage you to participate. Your input will contribute directly to refining the user journey and supporting the development of a harmonised operational concept for a potential future system.