South Koreans may not have to worry about being late again. The country aims to make a train-like public transportation concept that is almost as fast as the speed of sound - or about 1,000 kilometers per hour.
The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) said that they will join forces with other research groups and Hanyang University to build the near-supersonic "train". The ultra-fast transport can take passengers from Seoul to Busan in just thirty minutes, South China Morning Post reported. A KRRI official said Tuesday that in the near future, they hope to create an "ultra-fast train, which will travel inside a state-of-the-art low-pressure tube at lightning speeds."
The Innovative Hyper-Tube Technology Will Use Floating Pods To Transport People
According to Korea Times, the innovative hyper-tube technology will transport people in floating pods inside tubes under a partial vacuum. The idea was first proposed by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. Typically, conventional trains don't have friction between the between wheels and tracks as well as air resistance, these hyper-tube pods can travel almost as fast as the speed of sound.
If This Pushes Through, It Will Be Twice As Fast As Maglev Trains
If this plan pushes through, South Korea's near-supersonic "train" will be twice as fast as the magnetic levitation (maglev) train - the fastest existing ground transport in the world. Maglev travels along a guide way using magnets which create lift and propulsion, reducing friction and allowing very high speeds. Maglev trains can travel at up to 500 kilometers per hour.
"Many countries such as the United States, Canada, and China are competing to take the lead in this futuristic technology and we will also try to pre-empt our global rivals," KRRI's officer said. The institute added that the government focuses on "interdisciplinary research" and that this will be their biggest effort to "to develop a representative future technology."
