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China's hyperloop maglev train has achieved the fastest speed ever for a train at 623 km/h, as it prepares to test at up to 1,000 km/h in a 60km long hyperloop test tunnel. (robbreport.com)

submitted 9 months ago by Lugh to c/futurology

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[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Okay, lets say making it a "subway" works, and ignore the issues with digging out a tunnel for repairs/etc.

The issue is now tunneling hundreds/thousands of miles over a varied terrain. That would be hilariously more expensive than building standard high speed rail, likely 100x or more, which at 300km/would do the 226km Vancouver to Seattle trip in 45min. In contrast, at the max 1000km/h of this theoretical bullet train, people are making the trip in 15 min instead 45min. Is that small difference worth the wild expense?

Is having 1 route be 15min instead 45 better than 10 or 100 new "vancouver to seattle" routes that take 45min?Assuming its even just 10x as expensive, you could put a HSR train down the entire West coast for the same cost of that single 150mil ultra high speed run.

Ain't exactly a good trade.