Hyperloop Train Is About To Become A Reality

I know I've talked about Elon Musk's Hyperloop Train before, so this is more of an update from the original post.

Hyperloop Transport Technologies, an Elon Musk-founded company that was created shortly after he came up with the Hyperloop Train, has struck a deal with the state of California to build an 8 km. (5 mile) test track.  Musk's vision is to create a train that will shuttle people around at speeds between 320 to 480 km/h (200 to 300 mph) by using magnets and levitation.  His goal is to have shuttles running from San Francisco to Los Angeles, with the journey only taking 30 minutes.  Right now, it takes around six hours to make this trip by car.

Now, I know what you're thinking.  "Levitation?"

Here's what was written at IFLScience.com:

"The Hyperloop train will run using a combination of magnets and levitation.  The train itself  will shoot through a tube that is elevated above the ground.  Magnets will be placed on the outside of the train and on the inside of the tube.  By coordinating attraction and repulsion, the magnets will propel the train along quite nicely.  On top of this, each pod has an air compressor that takes air from the front of the train and blows it out the bottom.  This helps the train levitate and also reduces air resistance."

If all goes well, the tests should begin after the track is completed, which should be done by 2017.  They're also hoping to be shuttling people around by 2018.  This isn't going to be a cheap project.  If they do actually build this from San Francisco to Los Angeles, they are going to have to do a lot of work borrowing through mountains and building bridges to cross valleys.  The most ideal track would be a straight shot from one city to the next, to cut down on turns that may make passengers "travel sick."

They're considering making the train windowless, but to keep passengers relaxed, nature scenes of the outside world could possibly be projected onto the interior walls through the use of cameras.  Here's what they might actually look like:



What do you think?  Would you want to be shot through a tube at 200-300 mph with no way of getting out if something went wrong?  Yeah, I'm still kind of iffy about it myself...