A hyperloop tube at a test site in the Nevada desert. Photo courtesy of Virgin Hyperloop
A proposal to connect Chicago, Columbus and Pittsburgh via magnetic hyperloop tube is on hold.
Driving the news: Virgin Hyperloop laid off half its staff in February and announced it's shifting focus to transporting freight instead of people.
- The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission had been working with the company since 2017 on developing plans, but told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week that no further studies are scheduled until the high-speed transportation technology has approval from the federal government.
Flashback: A study released in 2019 estimated the project's cost at $25-30 billion. Skeptics have long questioned its feasibility.
What they're saying: "Central Ohio is a significant market for freight movement in the Midwest," MORPC said in a statement provided to Axios.
- "At this time, MORPC is still working with Virgin Hyperloop to learn more about their technology’s application in freight movement.”
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