Virgin Hyperloop hosts first pssenger ride on new transport system

Richard Branson's Virgin Hyperloop on Monday completed the world's first passenger ride on a super high-speed levitating pod system, a key safety test for technology it hopes will transform human and cargo transportation. Let us traverse this hyperloop journey!(Story credit: Reuters, Images: Handout via DH)

In a hyperloop system, which uses magnetic levitation to allow near-silent travel, a trip between New York and Washington would take just 30 minutes. That would be twice as fast as a commercial jet flight and four times faster than a high-speed train.

Los Angeles-based Hyperloop envisions a future where floating pods packed with passengers and cargo hurtle through vacuum tubes at 600 miles an hour (966 kph) or faster.

Virgin Hyperloop executives Josh Giegel, its Chief Technology Officer, and Sara Luchian, Director of Passenger Experience were the first passengers.

The hyperloop reached speeds of up to 107 miles per hour (172 km per hour) at the company's DevLoop test site in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The company has previously run over 400 tests without human passengers at the Nevada site.

The company is working toward safety certification by 2025 and commercial operations by 2030.