Toronto to Montreal in 39 minutes? Futuristic people mover zips to next stage
A futuristic tube system that would sling passengers from Toronto to Montreal via Ottawa in 39 minutes has been chosen as the strongest Canadian contender to put what is for now a technological theory into practice.
A “hyperloop” uses electric propulsion to move magnetically levitated pods through low-pressure tubes, eliminating air resistance and friction, and enabling the pods to travel at a velocity approaching the speed of sound.
- Hyperloop technology will revolutionize transportation, but it has to get off the ground first
- Hyperloop One technology tested successfully in Nevada desert
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, introduced the hyperloop idea in 2013 and encouraged people and companies to expand on it.
A company called Hyperloop One, which is unaffiliated with Musk, is working to commercialize Musk’s concept. It introduced a global challenge in May 2016, calling for proposals for real world hyperloop networks. About 2,600 teams registered to take up the challenge, the company said.