The train that will travel at the SPEED OF SOUND: South Korea developing public transport capable of hitting 620mph
- Seoul officials hope mode of transport will be able to travel more than 620mph
- Train would operate in a low-pressure environment using a 'hyper-tube format'
- It could double the speed of magnetic levitation trains - currently the fastest in the world
South Korea wants to create an 'ultra-fast' train it hopes will be able to carry passengers at almost the speed of sound.
Officials in the capital Seoul hope the near-supersonic mode of transport will be able to travel more than 620mph - drastically reducing journey times in the country.
It would operate inside a 'low-pressure tube' and, if development proves successful, could travel along at twice the speed of magnetic levitation trains - currently the fastest in the world capable of reaching 268mph.
South Korea wants to create an 'ultra-fast' train it hopes will be able to carry passengers at almost the speed of sound (file picture)
According to the Korea Times, the train will almost reach the speed of sound just over - 767mph.
The Korea Railroad Research Institute said: 'We hope to create an ultra-fast train, which will travel inside a state-of-the-art low-pressure tube at lightning speeds, in the not-too-distant future.
'To that end, we will cooperate with associated institutes as well as Hanyang University to check the viability of various related technologies called the hyper-tube format over the next three years.'
'Many countries such as the United States, Canada, and China are competing to take the lead in this futuristic technology and we will also try to preempt our global rivals.
'The government has focused on interdisciplinary research and this will be the biggest effort we are working on to develop a representative future technology.'
It comes months after it emerged that Hyperloop, a futuristic transit system that allows travellers to reach their destinations at high speeds, is coming a step closer to reality.
ELON MUSK'S RADICAL VISION FOR A SUPER-FAST HYPERLOOP
Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at 740mph (1,200km/h) between distant locations.
It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane.
It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum.
The cost of building a line from LA to San Francisco has previously been estimated at $16 billion (£10 billion) - although critics say it would be nearer $100 billion (£65 billion)
The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes.
Passengers would sit in either individual or group pods, which would then be accelerated with magnets.
Capsules carrying six to eight people would depart every 30 seconds, with tickets costing around $20 (£13) each way.
The cost of building a line from LA to San Francisco has been estimated at $16 billion (£10 billion) - although critics say it would be nearer $100 billion (£65 billion).
Los Angeles-based start-up Hyperloop One has started construction on a development that could potentially become the world's first Hyperloop transport system.
The first tube of 'DevLoop', which looks set to become the first full Hyperloop system, has been successfully installed in a desert in North Las Vegas.
Hyperloop is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes.
Earlier this month Dubai officials announced a deal with Hyperloop One to study the potential for building a line linking it to the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi within the next five years.
Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Hyperloop One are working along with engineering and architecture firms AECOM and Arup to introduce the world's first Hyperloop in Dubai.
There are also hopes that the technology can be brought to Britain, with London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Liverpool among cities earmarked for the ultra fast links.
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