10 things eft’s been reading this week

All aboard the hype train!

Hyperloop is making its first moves from drawing boards and testing sites to real world usage, but is it going to back up its big talk with results? In this week’s 10 things we jump aboard the hype train and see what the fuss is all about for this new technology.

10 reasons why Hyperloop should be taken seriously. [Director]

Virgin Hyperloop One is expected to launch in London within the next 10 years, but its progress is being hindered by Brexit and HS2. [City AM]

Europe's first hyperloop track is being built in France. [Evening Standard]

Virgin Hyperloop One tests Colorado feasibility. [eft/ITS]

A video insight from the test site of Virgin Hyperloop One. The Hyperloop: Completion is closer than we think. [Fox News]

Mumbai-Pune hyperloop test track work may start in 2019. [The Times of India]

Perhaps building hyperloop near a conflict zone might not be a touch ambitious but Ukraine has also got in on hyperloop. Ukraine has plans for a hyperloop. [CNET]

Has this excitement all happened before though? This article pours some cold water on the tech evangelists with a reminder from 1970s Britain. http://www.wired.co.uk/article/british-hyperloop-hovertrain-maglev-trains [Wired]

In the meantime, real world contracts are more subdued, with Musk’s team working on a much more conventional system to take people to Chicago airport. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-14/how-musk-s-hyperloop-became-just-a-loop-in-chicago-quicktake [Bloomberg]

If there is one place that might be the first to reach a working system, then the Emirates might be the place to look. Hyperloop Video: 12-minute hop between Dubai and Abu Dhabi is happening. [My Salaam]

This one is all going to come down to the cost. On one side, the cost of putting in high-speed rail is going up but on the other electromagnetic propulsion and a de-pressurised tunnel is about as far from cheap as it is possible to be. Whilst we can’t deny that the concept is exciting and has potential, I won’t be holding my breath for a fully functional system in the next ten years beyond perhaps some airport connections. When it does take off though it promises a new level of transportation and connection.

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