Hyperloop hits 308km/h

The ultra-fast Hyperloop is one step closer to becoming a reality after its pod travelled 308km/h on its maiden journey.

Hyperloop One said its prototype for the high-speed transport system, which could travel from London to Edinburgh in 50 minutes, reached the speed on a 500-metre-long test track in the Nevada desert.

The test marks the first time Hyperloop One has propelled one of its carriages along the tube, as well as the fastest journey for the technology.

The company completed its first trial in May, which involved a smaller trolley reaching a top speed of 112km/h.

It is a significant step in the development of the Hyperloop, a transport system first conceived by Elon Musk in 2015 that involves levitating pods travelling through a vacuum at 1 207km/h.

"This is the beginning, and the dawn of a new era of transportation," said Shervin Pishevar, co-founder of Hyperloop One.

"We've reached historic speeds of 192 miles (308km) per hour and we're excited to finally show the world the XP-1 going into the Hyperloop One tube."

Prototypes for the futuristic mode of transport are being developed by a host of rival companies and research institutions.

Hyperloop One is the first to test a working model of its magnetic levitating pods.

Hyperloop One said the first generation of its levitating pod, which was unveiled last month, accelerated for 300m, reaching 308km/h before coming to a halt.

The XP-1 pod is 8.7m long, 2.4m wide and 2.7m tall.

Although Hyperloop One more than doubled its previous record with the run, it fell short of the 402km/h target it had initially set.

The trip brings the Hyperloop close to the 322km/h of Japan's bullet train, but is still 80.4km per hour slower than the planned HS2.