http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/...elon-hyperloop
Elon Musk's Hyperloop concept is actually taking shape and making progress.
Ahlborn doesn't expect to have the technical feasibility study finished until mid-2015, but he decided to show off what his team has done so far to coincide with the midterm break of the design group at UCLA. So far, the team has made progress in three main areas: the capsules, the stations, and the route.
Interesting to note that it's going to cost $6-10 billion for a 400-mile stretch. And some routes are going to be impacted by rough terrain. The article mentions that the best layout is flat land - this is something we have between Calgary and Edmonton, and lots of it.
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CBC article from May says that in a feasibility report for an Alberta/Edmonton bullet train, the cost would be exactly the same.
Just thought it was cool, considering that Calgary and Edmonton are 186 miles apart and that's less than half the cost of a 400 mile line. Could a hyperloop be a better option in the future? It appears that the trip would take even less time than a bullet train, if the technology challenges are worked out.