It has been a painstaking wait since entrepreneur Elon Musk first dropped hints at the development of a super fast transportation system. Musk unveiled the Alpha plans for his Hyperloop yesterday afternoon, including sketches.

Theoretically, the Hyperloop will transport passengers in “aluminum pods enclosed inside of steel tubes” – kind of like bullets in a shotgun.

Pods run one direction down one tube and the opposite direction down the other. High speed air thrusts the pods from one location to the final destination, continuously giving them little bursts along the way.

Musk said that the hyperloop will not only transport people but cars too. “You just drive on, and the pod departs,” said Musk.

Musk’s idea for the Hyperloop was born when he examined the California’s high-speed rail system, which will cost $70 billion. Musk feels it is too expensive, too impractical and too slow. Musk said:

You have to look at what they say it will cost vs. the actual final costs, and I think it’s safe to say you’re talking about a $100 billion-plus train.

According to Musk, the Hyperloop could be built for $6 billion which is a fraction of the cost of the California high-speed rail system. His transportation system would be significantly faster with an expected top speed of 1,200 km/h. The ride would be far more pleasant for passengers than other modes of transport. Musk said:

It would have less lateral acceleration—which is what tends to make people feel motion sick—than a subway ride, as the pod banks against the tube like an airplane.

Unlike an airplane, it is not subject to turbulence, so there are no sudden movements. It would feel supersmooth.

The Hyperloop will also be solely solar powered, and therefore makes the design more appealing to environmentalists. But with Tesla and SpaceX, Musk does not have time to commit fully to his design. He has offered the blueprints to any investor willing to take on the challenge. Nobody has jumped at the opportunity just yet.

Check out the Hyperloop blog, here.

[Sources: BusinessWeek, The Daily Beast]