Elon Musk To Build Hyperloop Test Track

(RTTNews) - Elon Musk's ambitious plan for the high-speed transportation system, Hyperloop, gained further credence as the entrepreneur revealed plans for a test track, possibly in Texas.

In a tweet, Musk, chief executive of Tesla Motors (TSLA), said he plans to build the Hyperloop test track, most likely in Texas, and that companies and student teams could test their pods on the track. Musk also said he would consider holding a pod racer competition for students at the track.

The Hyperloop system incorporates reduced-pressure tubes in which pressurized capsules ride on a cushion of air that is driven by a combination of linear induction motors and air compressors. The system envisions travel of at least 600 miles per hour.

Musk had unveiled plans for the $6 billion Hyperloop system in 2013. The conceptual Hyperloop route runs from the Los Angeles region to the San Francisco Bay Area, and the system seeks to help travelers cover the distance in 35 minutes at a speed of about 600 mph.

A crowd-sourced group of engineers, called Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, is endeavoring to move the concept forward, intending to produce a technical feasibility study in 2015.