Space

Hyperloop One's Space-Age Rail In Dubai Will Transport People In Vacuum Tubes In Super Speed

Elaine Hannah
First Posted: Nov 14, 2016 05:10 AM EST

California-based Hyperloop One announced its first proposed track in Dubai that will be built in the next five years. This will be a track between Dubai and the capital, Abu Dhabi.

Josh Giegel, President of Engineering at Hyperloop One, stated that they are going to create a seamless experience that starts the moment you think about being somewhere -- not going somewhere. He further said that they do not sell cars, boats, planes or trains but instead they sell time. The project includes several stations in Dubai connecting the hyperloop system to Abu Dhabi.

IFL Science reports that the Hyperloop, which was first proposed by Elon Musk in 2012, will transport humans in pods in vacuum tubes with a speed of 1,220 kilometers (760 miles) per hour. These are propelled by electromagnets. The passengers would journey to a central hub and enter an Hyperloop pod. Four pods would then be connected and travel in the vacuum-tube to their destination.

So, why choose Dubai as the target of Hyperloop One for its first system? Jim McGregor, a principal analyst at Tirias Research, told the TechNewsWorld that Abu Dhabi and Emirates would be a good choice because the Emirates are willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money on a project like this. He further explained that doing this in the United States would be a political disaster because the final cost is likely to be exponentially higher than the original optimistic estimates.

Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd said that they were planning to complete its full-scale test early next year at their test site in Nevada. He further said that they hoped to have multiple operational Hyperloop systems within five years. 

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