Move over, Channel Tunnel: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is ready to build a high-speed transit system in Europe.
"Slovakia is a technological leader in the automotive, material science, and energy industries, many of the areas that are integral to the Hyperloop system," HTT CEO Dirk Ahlborn said in a statement. "Having a European Hyperloop presence will incentivize collaboration and innovation within Slovakia and throughout Europe."
Traveling from capital city Bratislava to Vienna, for instance, could take about eight minutes at full Hyperloop speed (down from one hour by car); a Bratislava-to-Budapest route (two to three hours driving), meanwhile, would last 10 minutes.
"Hyperloop in Europe would cut distances substantially and network cities in unprecedented ways," said Vazil Hudak, Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic. "A transportation system of this kind would redefine the concept of commuting and boost cross-border cooperation in Europe."
A course between Bratislava and Košice—a distance of 250 miles—may also be considered, connecting the eastern and western sides of Slovakia in just 25 minutes, much shorter than the typical 4.5-hour car ride.
The Hyperloop is the brainchild of Elon Musk, who in August 2013 unveiled plans for a $6 billion system that would allow for high-speed travel between U.S. cities—ideally transporting people to and from San Francisco and LA in 30 minutes.
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But the Tesla and SpaceX chief is busy with other projects, so he handed the Hyperloop off to anyone who wanted to pick it up, and HTT answered the call. In the years since, the company has built on Musk's vision for a tube-based structure that jets folks from A to B at speeds up to 760 mph.
In January, HTT announced that it filed construction permits with California's Kings County to start building in the Quay Valley later this year. Once a ground survey is complete, the company will use drones to mark the corridor, pylon positions, and station location. Groundbreaking and principle construction of the five-mile track is slated for mid-2016, ahead of an official public opening by 2018.
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