As Hyperloop sets speed record, Missouri official asks, ‘Why wouldn’t it be built here?’

Virgin Hyperloop One set a new speed record during its most recent testing phase, the company said Monday.

The company is behind a proposed high-speed, futuristic transit system that has earned the attention of Missouri transportation and political officials. A Kansas City to St. Louis route is being studied by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Other competing companies have since cropped up, including one backed by Elon Musk, who originally conceived of the mode of transportation.

Video released Monday by Virgin Hyperloop One shows the inside of a test tube altered to resemble air conditions at 200,000 feet above sea level, the company said. Using magnetic levitation, the pod that the company hopes to one day fill with people and cargo attained 240 mph — a new speed record for the company.

Ultra-low drag allows the pod to “glide at airline speeds for long distances,” the company said.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has pledged to seek private funding for its feasibility study, which is estimated to cost $1.5 million.

Andrew Smith, a co-founder of the public-private Missouri Hyperloop Coalition, said he is “highly confident” in the ability to fund the study.

Multiple engineering firms have submitted bids to conduct the study, he said, and he added he hopes it will begin next month.

“(Hyperloop) is going to be built somewhere. This technology is real,” Smith said. “Why wouldn’t it be built here?”

The proposed route includes a stop in Columbia.

Missouri is strategically located, Smith added, which has prompted discussions with other state officials about the possibility of building additional routes off the proposed one in Missouri.

Hyperloop One’s goal is to one day achieve speeds of 670 mph.

“The recent phase three testing continues to prove the incredible persistence and determination of our DevLoop team — the close to 200 engineers, machinists, welders, and fabricators who collaborated to make hyperloop a reality today,” said Josh Giegel, Virgin Hyperloop One’s co-founder and chief technology officer.

But making the technology a reality hasn’t been without its challenges. USA Today reported Monday that Shervin Pishevar, a co-founder, resigned after five women accused him of sexual harassment.

Richard Branson, who invested in the company earlier this year, was named chairman in the wake of Pishevar’s exit.

“I am excited by the latest developments at Virgin Hyperloop One,” Branson said in a release.“The recent investment by our partners Caspian Venture Capital and DP World sets up the company to pursue opportunities in key markets in the Middle East, Europe and Russia as it develops game-changing and innovative passenger and cargo ground transport systems.”

Caspian and DP World made a $50 million investment in Virgin Hyperloop One, bringing the company’s total investments to $295 million since its founding in 2014, according to the company.

The investment helped the company, which was low on cash, to stave off a sale proposed by Caspian, Bloomberg reported.

This story was originally published December 19, 2017 at 10:03 AM with the headline "As Hyperloop sets speed record, Missouri official asks, ‘Why wouldn’t it be built here?’."