A hyperloop prototype in South Korea has reached speeds over 1,000km/h, just days after a rival system performed the first successful passenger test using the technology.
The Korean Railroad Research Institute (Korail) announced on Wednesday that a “hyper-tube train” traveling through a vacuum hit a top speed of 1,019km/h (633mph).
The test took place on a scale model and is the first of its kind in the world, according to Business Korea. The previous top speed, also set by Korail, was 714km/h.
South Korea is hoping to launch a hyperloop network by 2024, cutting the journey time between Seoul and Busan from three hours to 30 minutes.
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The country already has high-speed bullet trains serving that route but the government is keen to make it near-supersonic.
The revolutionary transit technology was first proposed by Elon Musk in 2012, however the SpaceX and Tesla CEO said he did not have time to focus on its development himself.
Several companies and startups have since taken on the challenge, with the most promising being Hyperloop TT and Virgin Hyperloop.
Read more: Independent
