Hyperloop, the super-fast transport system backed by US billionaire Elon Musk, is not a likely solution to the issues facing transport in the North of England.
Speaking at a virtual event hosted by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, Transport for the North (TfN) chairman John Cridland said that, although he was impressed by the proposed tech to send passengers through low-pressure tubes in train-like pods at speeds of up to 670mph via magnetic levitation, the North needs trains that can stop.
Responding to a point raised in a discussion, he said: “When you have people like Elon Musk that can get people from Liverpool to Leeds in nine minutes, it makes you think, ‘should I be proud of myself as a traditional engineer who can build a route that will get the [travel] time down to 40 minutes?’