Metro Rail News November 2017

SpaceX/Elon Musk
San Francisco-Los Angeles, 380 miles
How much will it cost?
One of the main points stressed by Hyperloop
converts is the potential cost saving of the
technology. Compared to high-speed rail travel,
Hyperloops potentially need far less ground
space to construct their tunnels and far less
energy to transport the pods than conventional
trains.
Musk projected that his proposed Los Angeles
route would cost around $6bn, or $11.5m per
mile, compared to $68bn for a high-speed rail
link. However, leaked documents from
Hyperloop One suggested even a shorter 107-
mile loop in California would still cost up to
$13bn, or $121m per mile.
Will Hyperloop actually happen?
While the project may seem far-fetched, ventures
backed by Musk have gone surprisingly well so far.
Plenty of people back the theory behind Hyperloop,
which has support from several governments and
funding from transport behemoth General Electric
and French rail giant SNCF, but the potential cost
and feasibility of the technology are still to be
tested.
In 2017, Hyperloop One began some of its first tests
on the new technology, firing its pod down a 500m
test track in Nevada which saw the module reach
70mph in 5.3 seconds.
The company's lofty ambitions include having three
functioning Hyperloop systems in service by 2021. If
the developers can keep to their schedule the first
Hyperloop could be ready sooner than you think.
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