SAN FRANCISCO—The Virgin Hyperloop made its first journey carrying passengers in a small pod through a vacuum tube.
On November 8, the company preformed its first passenger test at its track in the desert outside Las Vegas, Nevada. Carrying two employees, the Hyperloop made the 500-meter journey in just 15 seconds.
According to the company’s website, the Hyperloop will be able to reach top speeds of 1,08- kilometers an hour (671 mph), projecting a 45-minute journey from Los Angeles to San Francisco and will produce no carbon emissions.
The system can propel a passenger or cardo pods at speeds three times faster than high-speed rail. It is also more than 10 times faster than traditional rail. Once brought into regular use, the pods will be able to transport up to 28 people at a time.
Passengers will also have on-demand transportation. Virgin Hyperloop, several pods can depart per minute and the system does not require stops at every station.
“We have shown that this spirit of innovation will in fact change the way people everywhere live, work, and travel in the years to come,” said Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, in a press release.
The vision for a Hyperloop was first proposed by Telsa co-founder and CEO Elon Musk. In 2013, Musk proposed to revolutionize transportation where travel from Los Angeles to New York would only take 45 minutes.
Musk’s interest in the idea was sparked after researching California’s high-speed rail project.
