Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is laying out plans for Hyperloop One, a series of vacuum-sealed tubes that would launch people on-demand… to the future. Or another city.
Hyperloop One would use Texas as one of its test markets. Virgin says it may try to build a test system linking Dallas and Fort Worth as its first leg in the United States. The company says the trip between the two cities would take about ten minutes. Then it’d focus on linking other markets in Texas. The trip to Austin would be about 25 minutes, and Virgin says its system would also reach Houston, San Antonio and Laredo.
Hyperloop One’s counsel made a presentation the other day in the mid-cities.
He came out as the theme from The Jetsons played, which seemed a little on-the-nose. He explained The Jetsons is more than 50 years old, but now it’s coming true.
If you have a Roomba, though, it’s probably not as sassy as Rosie the Robot. I could be wrong, though. That’s me making that claim, not the legal counsel for Virgin.
He went on to explain Hyperloop One has already been tested at 240 miles an hour, but with a longer track, Mr. Spacely could get the pods up to 670 miles an hour [never mind that Mr. Spacely always just sat in that chair at the sprockets office and didn’t actually know how to do anything].
Pods would leave on demand, and the lawyer said they’re testing acceleration and deceleration to make it feel similar to an airplane.
An associate of mine won’t stop hassling various transportation agencies about hashtag: transit alternatives. Occasionally, if I’m about to interview a transportation big-wig, I’ll text him and see if he has anything he’s been dying to know. With Hyperloop One, he wrote back, asking if they were expecting to use eminent domain.
I rolled my eyes and thought, “There aren’t many people who get psyched to ask a lawyer about transporta–wait a minute, that’s a good question. A reporter ASKS.”
Also, as a journalist of the future, I pledge to make sure Soylent, or any other foodstuff producer, is not making its product out of people. I’ll start wearing an ascot now as part of that pledge. I’m not sure why ascots didn’t catch on like the film industry expected. Even Napoleon gave them a shot.
Virgin is still working on financing and regulation for Hyperloop One but hopes to start service in 2025. That’ll give me plenty of time to pick out an ascot for the ride to Houston.
