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Elon Musk Reveals Opening Date for LA Hyperloop 'Test Tunnel'

Oct. 22, 2018
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2 min read
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Elon Musk Reveals Opening Date for LA Hyperloop 'Test Tunnel'
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Elon Musk announced the opening date for a stretch of his California hyperloop test tunnel. Sunday night on Twitter.

"The first tunnel is almost done," Musk tweeted about the hyperloop, a project by his Boring Company. "Opens Dec. 10."



The tunnel will be an ultra-fast underground transit system running for more than two miles beneath the streets of LA, linking it to the outer suburb of Hawthorne, where Musk's rocket and space tourism venture, SpaceX, has its headquarters.

"The initial Test Tunnel, located in Hawthorne, CA, is being used for the research and development of The Boring Company's public transportation systems, Loop and Hyperloop," the tunnel digging firm wrote on its website.

The stretch opening in less than two months will be a "test tunnel" to show what the company's hyperloop and transit system would be like. Musk says that speeds in the test tunnel will reach up to 155 mph, Bloomberg reports. That is far below the top speed of 760 mph Musk had declared the completed hyperloop will reach — and it isn't yet clear how the Boring Co. plans to get to those speeds.

Travelers will be sped through the tunnel on a device called a "skate," an electric platform that will either carry eight to 16 passengers in its own travel pod or inside a car or vehicle that is driven onto it, USA Today says. Musk tweeted that there will be an opening event on Dec. 10 for the test tunnel, with free rides for the public the next day.

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Musk is also planning hyperloops in downtown Chicago and a "Dugout Loop" to bring baseball fans to Dodger stadium.

This article has been updated to reflect that Hawthorne, CA, is SpaceX's headquarters, not its rocket launching facility, which is in Santa Barbara, CA.

Featured image by AFP/Getty Images

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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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