Hyperloop One is now Virgin Hyperloop One thanks a big investment from billionaire Richard Branson. Another famous mogul, Elon Musk, first championed the high-tech hyperloop train cause. Branson, however, is the latest of the ultra-rich entrepreneur set to put down his personal stake in the idea.

The notion of putting people and material into pods and propelling them at incredibly high speeds might sound a bit insane. Driven by powerful electric motors and levitating friction-free inside a metal tube, riding hyperloops no doubt will be risky. Travelling at speeds of jet airplanes, though on the ground, will certainly shave time off your daily commute.

Of course Virgin Hyperloop One’s technology remains firmly experimental for the time being. Even so, the new joint venture should continue or even accelerate Hyperloop One’s projected timeline.The company expects to create a fully operational hyperloop system by 2021.

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