A Hyperloop test facility in Switzerland has completed the longest-ever vacuum capsule journey.
As you may recall, the Hyperloop concept involves train-like vehicles traveling at high speeds through vacuum-sealed tubes, coasting along via magnetic levitation. With no weather, traffic or air resistance to contend with, the pods are believed to be capable of reaching a top speed of 1,200 km/h (746 mph).
This new Swiss milestone could bring this once lauded promise of high-speed transport one step closer to reality. An EPFL facility in Switzerland has been testing Hyperloop tech through what’s called the LIMITLESS project – in one of the most awkward acronyms in recent memory, which apparently stands for “Linear Induction Motor Drive for Traction and Levitation in Sustainable Hyperloop Systems.” As you can tell, that doesn't quite create the acronym LIMITLESS, but it's way better than trying to pronounce LIMDTLSHS.
Be that as it may, this project is a 1:12 scale model of a Hyperloop, with a tube diameter of 40 cm (15.7 in) and a track circumference of 125.6 m (412 ft). Lots of tests have been carried out, and in the best performing test the pod traveled 11.8 km (7.3 miles) and at its fastest it reached a top speed of 40.7 km/h (25.3 mph).
That makes it the longest distance traveled by a vacuum capsule so far, and if scaled up would be the equivalent of 141.6 km (88 miles). The top speed when scaled up would be 488.2 km/h (303.4 mph). So, good progress - and the LIMITLESS tests show that Hyperloop still has a shot at speeding up long-distance travel.