Absurd idea. It will never happen. we cant even maintain the regular rails. I love Elon but he needs to drop this stupid idea.

Will it have WiFi?

I am thinking if this technology will connect all of humanity fast and cheap, rather than to be reliant on fossil fuels.

@ Lumpy - Why is it any more absurd than any other modern technological feat- space travel, crazy-tall buildings, etc, etc?
The article's projected track cost seems a long way off to me when you consider a 6 lane motorway costs about £5m per mile to build. The HL track is just a big steel tube on (not very tall) concrete towers - might not even need the towers for a lot of the track. MW

Don't you love the wind turbine in the background? http://images.gizmag.com/hero/hyperloop-transportation.jpg
Is the train supposed to run only when the wind blows?

Reply to Freyr Gunnar:
In the image one can spot solar panels on top of the tube. Anyway new methods of harvesting green fluctuating power flow more efficient are under development. This will transform green energy to a reliable compatible energy source.

Musk's engineers for Hyperloop are building this white elephant on false premises; and I told them so. Their arguments against using a vacuum maglev system assumes leaks because of the long lengths of tubes and connection points. My HYPERTUBE system envisions airlocks in 89 foot tube sections, with multiple vacuum pumps to supply the sections. Instead of multiple connection points, switching centers similar to railroad roundhouses would provide directional changes for the capsules. Since these switching centers would be evacuated, there would be no leaks between connection points. As was requested by the Hyperloop white paper paper, I submitted to the Hyperloop engineers at SpaceX and was ignored. Passenger terminals in my HYPERTUBE system are small enough and inexpensive enough to be built in ANY neighborhood anywhere in the world; and with the use of bi-directional tubes, such a system could be built for less than half the cost per mile of a four lane divided highway, operate continuous at speeds of up to 4,000 mph and would not require major repairs for at least 200 years.

Love it, maybe get Gov Brown CA to fund this vs his HSRR plan alone Love the mini Hyperloop for So CA IE Malibu to Palm Springs or Palm Springs to Dwtn LA Union Station or Glendale to Chino etc, awesome.

Great idea, BUT: would you strap into a tight windowless capsule and be subjected to accelerations in all 3 axes for hours, with no chance of getting out if you feel sick? This is like Space Mountain on steroids.

The idea seems very similar to the Swissmetro Project, an idea to connect the swiss country (and europe) with an underground magnetic railway in low-pressure tunnels.