Richard Branson is planning to build a train that will go from London to Edinburgh in 50 minutes

pulse

October 13, 2017 12:18 PM

Along with the proposed London to Edinburgh route, it has projects underway in the UAE, U.S., Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, and India.

Richard Branson is planning to build a train that will go from London to Edinburgh in 50 minutes as part of his investment in California-based company Hyperloop One.

The startup, which is working on a high-speed transit system Elon Musk first outlined in 2013, announced on Thursday that the Virgin Group had struck an investment deal with them, which involves their rebranding to be called "Virgin Hyperloop One."

Branson, who reportedly led an $85 million (£65 million) investment into the company, has also joined the board of directors.

Hyperloop is being proposed as a new form of high-speed, efficient, all-electronic travel which involves passengers and cargo being loaded into a pod, then accelerated through a low-pressure tube via electric propulsion.

The pod quickly will hover over the track using magnetic levitation and glides at airline speeds for long distances due to ultra-low aerodynamic drag, according to the company.

The company has conducted two successful tests of its Hyperloop system on its 500 metre development track in Nevada. The train reached 192 miles per hour in its most recent phase of testing, according to The Telegraph.

Along with the proposed London to Edinburgh route, it has projects underway in the United Arab Emirates, the U.S., Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, and India.

In a tweet, Branson called the Hyperloop "the world's most revolutionary train service."

Introducing @Virgin @Hyperl... @ Richard Branson

"After visiting Hyperloop One’s test site in Nevada and meeting its leadership team this past summer, I am convinced this groundbreaking technology will change transportation as we know it and dramatically cut journey times," Branson said in a press release.

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