The futuristic transport system Hyperloop has come a long way since entrepreneur Elon Musk proposed a "fifth

mode of transport" in 2012.

The concept, in which commuters are whisked through a tube at speeds in excess of 700mph, has developed rapidly with inventors and
investors giving their backing.

While it may have seemed like fantasy, and there are still lots of reasons to be skeptical about this "future of transport", plans for Hyperloop
and the companies behind it are making progress towards their first operational tunnels.

But what is a Hyperloop? Why does Musk back the idea? Who are the companies pushing the tech? Read on to get beyond the hype and see if
you are a Hyperloop believer.

What is Hyperloop and how does it work?

Hyperloop is a proposed system of transport that would see pods or containers travel at high speeds through a tube that has been pumped
into a near-vacuum. The train pods would either float using magnetic levitation technology or float using air caster "skis", similar to how
pucks travel across an air hockey table.

With so little friction in the tunnel, the pods would be able to travel at immense speeds with a projected top speeds of 760mph.

The pod would initially launch using an electric motor before levitation takes place and the pod can glide at cruising speed in the low-
pressure environment. Tunnels for the Hyperloop would be built either above or below ground, at only around 3m in diameter, taking up a
smaller ground footprint than traditional rail and road.

Many of the current designs feature autonomous pods that can be launched on demand as frequently as every 20 seconds. Others suggest
eco-friendly designs, powering the pressure pumps with clean energy such as solar.

Where did the idea come from?

The idea of travelling through a vacuum tube and been around for more than 100 years. In fact, some of the very first underground railways
in the UK ran using an air pressure system. But the current idea for the Hyperloop came from Elon Musk, the entepreneur behind PayPal,
Tesla and SpaceX in 2012.

Speaking at an event in California, he proposed a system of transport that would be immune to weather, twice the speed of a plane and have a
lower power consumption. He later went on to describe his technology as a cross between a railgun, Concorde and an air hockey table.

Musk claimed high-speed rail was too expensive and too slow in a paper he released in 2013. For distances of around 900 miles, a Hyperloop
tube would be a more efficient means of transporting people and transport, he claimed.

From an early stage, Hyperloop's design was made open source. Musk's own commercial re-usable rocket venture Space X would have input
in researching and funding the ideas, but would not directly make the first Hyperloops. That would fall to private investors and
entrepreneurs.
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has championed Hyperloop CREDIT: REUTERS

Who is developing the first Hyperloop?

There have been several companies looking to create the first commercial Hyperloop and competitions to develop the technology that will
make the transport system a reality.

Space X has held initial design competitions for teams to build and test pods which could be used on the Hyperloop. Running since 2015,
there have been more than 1,000 team entries to the competition to work on system, including a team from the University of Edinburgh
which has reached the finals, to be held in August.

Since the launch of the competition, companies have joined the race to develop the technology. The main runners include Hyperloop
Transportation Technologies and Hyperloop One.

Early designs for Hyperloop CREDIT: SPACE X

Where will the first tracks be built?
There are tests already underway in Nevada from Hyperloop One, which built a 500m test track to launch its first pod. But the first
Hyperloop may not be built in the US, as initial routes first suggested by Musk from Los Angeles to San Francisco have failed to take off.

Much of the demand for Hyperloop development and testing has come from outside of the US. The Netherlands and Finland in Europe have
expressed interest as becoming the next locations for testing tracks by Hyperloop One. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are also in the mix, as Dubai's
DP World group is a major investor in the technology.

Other proposed routes include a Hyperloop that would cut the time from London to Edinburgh to 50 minutes, while other speculated routes
include several US Hyperloops and an Indian track.

One of three proposed routes for a hyperloop in the UK CREDIT: HYPERLOOP ONE

Some other proposed routes are:

Hyperloop One

 Estonia-Finland, 56 miles
 Vienna-Budapest, 150 miles
 The Netherlands, 266 miles
 Corsica-Sardinia, 280 miles
 Helsinki-Stockholm, 300 miles
 Liverpool-Glasgow, 339 miles
 Spain-Morocco, 391 miles
 London-Edinburgh, 414 miles
 Poland, 415 miles
 Cardiff-Glasgow, 657 miles
 Germany round trip, 1,237 miles
 Five proposed routes in India
 11 other proposed routes in the US
Hyperloop Transport Technologies

 Brno-Bratislava, 80 miles
 Abu Dhabi-Al Ain, 107 miles
SpaceX/Elon Musk

 San Francisco-Los Angeles, 380 miles

How much will it cost?

One of the main points stressed by Hyperloop converts is the potential cost saving of the technology. Compared to high-speed rail travel,
Hyperloops potentially need far less ground space to construct their tunnels and far less energy to transport the pods than conventional
trains.

Musk projected that his proposed Los Angeles route would cost around $6bn, or $11.5m per mile, compared to $68bn for a high-speed rail
link. However, leaked documents from Hyperloop One suggested even a shorter 107-mile loop in California would still cost up to $13bn, or
$121m per mile.