Elon Musk’s The Boring Company wins contract to build 150 mph underground transit system

Elon Musk-backed startup The Boring Company, which was partially funded by the sale of baseball caps and novelty flamethrowers, has been chosen by the city of Chicago to build a high-speed underground transportation system linking O’Hare International Airport with downtown. The project will be entirely paid for by The Boring Company, which will generate revenue from ticket sales, advertising and merchandising. The Boring Company is developing drilling technology that it says will be quicker and cheaper than current methods, and is in the process of building a test tunnel in and around Musk’s SpaceX headquarters property in Hawthore, Calif. The company has designed a system that uses computer-controlled electric-powered wheeled “skates” that can travel at speeds of up to 150 mph while carrying passengers, goods or vehicles riding on top of them. The Chicago Express Loop will initially feature skates outfitted as 16-passenger shuttles that will complete the 18-mile run between the airport and a new station to be built near the city’s Millennium Park in 12 minutes, compared to approximately 45 minutes for the Blue Line surface train that services the route today. (Read more)

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