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In 2013 , Elon Musk publish awhite paperthat teased the idea of zipping from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 35 minute through a vacuity - sealed tube — a system he called hyperloop . The idea “ originated out of his hatred for California ’s proposed high - speed railing system,”accordingto his biographer Ashlee Vance .
Ten years later , the most gamy - profile inauguration that examine to be in Musk ’s footsteps — Hyperloop One — isclosing its doors . And the news of its demise broke less than two week after the Biden administrationannounced$6 billion in support for high - speed runway projects across California .
It ’s a cock-a-hoop win for public transit advocates , many of whom have expend decades stump for not just gamey - speed railing , but better rails armed service overall . ( Biden ’s announcement also include financial support for aslew of other rail labor around the country . ) But it ’s not a clean triumph by any means .
For one thing , many cities and states were lulled by the hyperloop siren Song dynasty and were subsequently left rudderless . I still vividly remember reporting out a story in 2018 about the collapse of Arrivo ( another hyperloop startup make by one of Hyperloop One ’s Centennial State - founder ) and calling Colorado ’s Department of Transportation to ask about the ship’s company going under , only to realize on the callthey had no idea it had come about .
Colorado was not alone . Hyperloop One once promised West Virginia that it would builda $ 500 million test and certification facilityin the state of matter . It also built a test path near Las Vegas where it did , shortly , move some people through a tube — enough of an accomplishment , plain , for then - chief executive officer Jay Walder toclaimit was the “ first new form of aggregate deportation in over 100 years . ”
Other hyperloop labor and caller stay , though mostly alfresco of the United States . gratefully this nation was already building momentum back up for investing in its rail system , with a focus on faster trains .
The most high - profile effort is Brightline , a company that recently strain its existing religious service in Floridaall the way to Orlando , allowing passengers to travel there from as far as Miami .
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Brightline is also make what it calls “ the nation ’s first truthful high - focal ratio rail internet ” between Los Angeles and Las Vegas . That task received $ 3 billion of the funding recently announced by the Biden administration , and is await to break earth in other 2024 .
build high - upper rail will take more than just money . There aredeeply rooted problemsstanding in the manner stemming from years of deregulation . undertaking of this size of it also struggle to stay on metre and on budget . Theotherbig receiver of the newly announced federal support — another $ 3 billion — is a high - stop number rail project slated to prevail the spine of California that was the original reference of Musk ’s ire .
Could high - velocity rail ’s revival hunt down the risk of exposure of a replay with the humankind ’s deep man ? Perhaps , though train fan can take comfort in how distracted Musk has become since that 2013 white paper .
Besides , outside of a handful of engineering competition held by SpaceX , Musk only ever entertained his own hyperloop project at a superficial horizontal surface .
Musk once tweet that he had “ verbal govt approval ” tobuild“an underground NY - Phil - Balt - DC Hyperloop . ” It was never build . In April 2022 heclaimedhis tunneling effort The Boring Company would “ attempt to build a working hyperloop . ” The undermentioned daytime the companytweeted“Hyperloop examination at full - scale begins by and by this year . ” That also never happened .
Musk spend the last 10 barely engaging with the hyperloop , fundamentally outsourcing his attempt to drink down high - focal ratio rail . With Hyperloop One ’s last casting a winding-clothes on that premise , it search increasingly like the billionaire has a decision to make : Does he deal enough to find the time to land up the job himself ?
