| Abstract [eng] |
The final master's thesis examines the consequences of poor intercity connectivity and how they could be solved by applying Hyperloop technology. According to Lithuanian airports, Vilnius Airport is already unable to meet the growing demand for passenger traffic, although Kaunas and Palanga airports are mostly empty. The situation in the city does not allow to increase the capacity of Vilnius Airport, and other airports of the country are not planned for development, although there are much better conditions for their expansion. The main arguments for this are that Kaunas and Palanga airports are too far from the capital, and the solution proposed by Lithuanian airports for solving this problem is a new airport between Vilnius and Kaunas, which is simply a project that requires too much investment. In Lithuania, there are basically two ways to travel between cities - rails and roads. Travel by bus or train takes a long time - both the trip itself and waiting at the terminal. adherence to travel schedules partly obliges a person to serve the system, not the other way around. Traveling by car is much more convenient, there is no need to adjust to schedules, but it is expensive, unsafe and still takes a relatively long time (depending on the time of day and climatic conditions). Although state-of-the-art high-speed trains travel at relatively high speeds, traveling by car or train takes much longer than traveling by plane. The need for an improved and faster mode of transportation is high (Hyperloop Transportation Technologies U.S. Patent no .: US 10,493,859 B2). The main goals specified in the General Plan of the Republic of Lithuania for 2030 (hereinafter - LRBP:2030) are based on strong intercity connections, and this can be established by innovative long-distance transport systems. The connection between „Rail Baltica“ and Hyperloop would basically unite all major cities in Lithuania, and with the planned expansion of Kaunas Airport, with the main Rail Baltica terminal in Kaunas and the easily accessible Hyperloop passenger terminal, Kaunas, due to its appreciable geographical location, would become a gateway to the whole country. Possibilities of Hyperloop technology applicability in Kaunas are analyzed. Different variants of routes in the city are checked, possible locations of the Hyperloop passenger terminal are evaluated, and the terminal design is developed. The hyperloop passenger terminal principles of perception are developed based on Rem Koolhaas's „Junkspace“ criticism of spaces which lost their identity (airports, shopping malls, train stations, casinos, etc.). |
