A train that travels through low-pressure tubes at 700mph might sound like science fiction, but it just got one step closer to reality.
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, one of two firms racing to realise the vision, has announced it has started building the first Hyperloop passenger pod.
In a promotional video (above), HTT shows off the interior of a prototype capsule, which is 2.7m wide, 30m long and can carry 28 to 40 people.
A spokesperson for the firm told CNET that the design could undergo hundreds of iterations before it’s officially launched.
HTT is looking at a number of different concepts “that go beyond just seating”, CNET reported.
Capsules could depart from stations every 40 seconds, according to HTT, which would allow them to shuttle more than 160,000 passengers a day.
HTT is partnering with Carbures, a company specialising in fuselage for aircraft and spacecraft, to build the futuristics pods.
The firm is competing with Hyperloop One to build the world’s first Hyerploop, the design for which was conceived by Tesla and Space X founder Elon Musk.
In November, Hyperloop One announced it had signed a feasibility deal with Dubai’s transport authority.
The firm has proposed a 500mph train line that would link Dubai to Abu Dhabi in just 12 minutes.
HTT has also signed a deal to develop a route linking Bratislava with Vienna and Budapest.
The pods are up to twice as fast as Japan’s bullet train.