As in Matrix or Futurama: Canadian FluxJet shoots you through the tube at 1,200 km/h

• Canada plans to build a new high-speed train.
• TransPod’s Fluxjet is expected to reach a speed of 1,200 km/h.
• This would make the train significantly faster than conventional passenger planes. The ticket costs should be significantly lower.

We live in a time when balloons take the adventurous to the edge of space and even Deutsche Bahn does a lot to make travel more comfortable – but for long-distance travel and even for travel within your own country, the plane is for many people still first choice. Also because there is often a better ratio between speed and costs than when traveling by train.

The company TransPod wants to change that. She has started construction of the FluxJet line. After completion, the high-speed train will connect the Canadian cities of Calgary and Edmonton.

Thanks to the FluxJet’s top speed of up to 1,200 km/h, the distance between the two cities, which are 300 kilometers apart, should be bridged within 45 minutes, literally melting away. By car, according to Google Maps, the travel time would be around three hours with free traffic.

Presentation of FluxJet by TransPod

The high speeds of the train can only be achieved because it is a closed tube system instead of conventional rails in the open air. The train runs in a vacuum with almost no air and, thanks to magnetic levitation technology, no frictional resistance.

The Hyperloop is supposed to work in a similar way. A kind of landing gear is extended as soon as the train drops below a speed of 300 km/h. As with an ICE route, the FluxJet will also have high-speed sections and slower sections.

Memories of the Matrix

The so-called “levitation engines” of the FluxJet can be described as spectacular. These systems, which are necessary for the magnetic levitation technology, are located not only below but also above each 25 meter long wagon and are attached to flexible arms. An image published by the manufacturer is reminiscent of the fictional hovercraft Nebuchadnezzar from the Hollywood blockbuster Matrix.

According to the company, it has closed the next round of financing with a capital injection of 550 US dollars and now wants to herald “the next phase”. Preparations for route preparation and initial construction work are underway. Once complete, a ticket for the Calgary – Edmonton route will cost $75.

The price for a flight ticket for this route is currently around 125 US dollars. As of now, there is no completed bullet train in Canada and it remains to be seen if the company can actually go ahead with the plans as advertised. Projects of this type are considered expensive and technically complicated. There are also many unanswered questions about the safety of such high-speed trains.