Is this the future of long distance travel?

[Bambino]

Fascinating. 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/11/hyperloop-supersonic-train-test-propulsion-system

[Cleoriff]

Good grief! I wonder if it will ever be considered economically viable? It would require a whole new travel network to be built I presume?

[jonsie]

This would take some colossal investment. The cost would be astronomical for even one route. Maybe one day but I can't see this becoming reality any time soon.

[Toby]

I'd love to give it a go @Bambino 

Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

I saw this, this is Elon Musks new plan, reckons he could have it running transcontinental in the states by 2021 for freight. Its also meant to be £8bn which is a lot less than the budget ( I cant remember by how much there was an article in the independant I cna no longer find)

[viridis]

Sure beats Rita,
I believe this will happen.

[Martin-O2]

I really hope this does become a reality for travel. Would certainly shave some time off the daily commute! 

The fact that the original idea of transportation traveling through evacuated tubes dates back more than a century but we're only seeing practical application now is amazing.

[jonsie]

Yes it's certainly the stuff of boyhood comics and I have no doubt it will eventually happen but they need vast funding to reach their targets.

[viridis]

To these guys, vast funding is a phone call away..
The likes of Elon musk have, in the last few short years, advanced well beyond nasa's rocket technology.

[Bambino]

I'm certain that this is something that will happen, but I think the timeframe they're talking about is a little optimistic. Elon Musk is a very smart, innovative person, but these kinds of projects never keep to time, or to budget for that matter. They may be able to get something started or even finished on a small scale within the time they have estimated, but it will take billions and billions and billions, and maybe even more than that before we see this around the world.