Virgin Hyperloop One is making progress to becoming the next major innovation in transportation. The highly advanced bullet-like train flies through a tubular structure that limits air and friction resistance allowing the vehicle to travel at speeds north of 600 MPH. For reference, commercial airplanes fly around 550 MPH, and Japan's SCMaglev, a magnetically levitated railway system, is considered the faster "train" in the world, capable of reaching approximately 375 MPH.

 
A major update for the hyperloop came out in mid-October with the announcement that a former coal mine in West Virginia has been selected to be the site for a $500 million, six-mile testing track and certification facility. Construction on this project will begin in 2022 and finished in 2025.

The first hyperloop testing facility was created just north of Las Vegas in the Nevada desert in 2017. Overall, the hyperloop project has three offices, four regulatory centers, and seven project sites. The West Virginia site is expected to be open for commercial use by 2030, and the testing track will be continuously used to establish safety and operational standards for all hyperloop projects and advancements.

The way in which hyperloop technology will change city planning and infrastructure is uncertain, but as it becomes commercialized and grows in popularity, more change will occur in planning, designing, and advancing cities and transportation.

Learn more about the hyperloop here: https://virginhyperloop.com