SOUTH Korea has kicked off its development of a revolutionary “Hypertube” train which is expected to launch this year.
Set to hit jaw-dropping speeds of up to 746mph, the vacuum-sealed machine will leave passenger planes, with a speed of around 550mph, crawling behind.
Dubbed the “K-Hypertube”, the project is backed by a huge 12.7 billion won (£6.7 million) budget over three years, with 3.68 billion won (just under £2 million) set aside for the first year.
While Korea’s current high-speed train, the KTX, has a maximum speed of 186mph, the Hypertube will boast speeds of up to 746mph.
At full speed, the Hypertube could reduce the travel time between Seoul and Busan (200 miles in distance) to just 16 minutes and 15 seconds.
This is about one-seventh of the time it currently takes by the KTX, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Besides its faster speeds, the Hypertube will reportedly have a lower environmental impact and be less affected by weather disruptions.
If successful, this mode of travel will also bemore eco-friendly than airplanes.
Development for so-called “planes on rails” began in2013 under the name .
While experts working on the Hyperloop in estimate it could launch by 2030 and is planning its own version for around 2035, ‘s K-Hypertube could be operational as early as this year.
The Hypertube project is led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea, in partnership with the Korea Railroad Research Institute.
“This research and development marks a meaningful first step toward realizing Hypertube – a plane on rails,”; said Yoon Jin-hwan, head of the Transport Ministry's railway bureau.
He said the project has the potential to contribute to regional development and tackle the decline of local population.
“Just 20 years ago, Korea was an importer of high-speed rail technology.
“Today, we are a nation that develops and exports that technology, proving our capabilities and competitiveness on the global stage.
“Through the development of the Hypertube – our ‘dream railway’ – we hope to lead the global rail market and extend our reach around the world.”;
The South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that work on the Hypertube will begin on Tuesday.
Researchers will focus on developing the following key technologies: a superconducting electromagnet system, train control systems, the manufacturing of the train body and of course, a track.
Building vacuum-resistant tubes and maintaining airtight cabin conditions are key challenges ahead.
This follows , announced last year.
The “ultra-high speed pipeline maglev system” – commonly known as a hyperloop – aims to travel atspeeds of up to 1,000kmph (621mph) in a 93-mile vacuum tunnel between Shanghai and Hangzhou.
In tests in February 2024, China's hyperloop smashed previous records by travelling the full length of a 2km test track with stable levitation, CASIC said.
While the exact speed remains classified, it reportedlysurpassed the previous record set by a maglev vehicle of 357mph – which the French V150 train hit in 2007.
The line is expected to operate by 2035.
