Why Ultra-Efficient 4,000 mph Vacuum-Tube Trains Aren't Being Built

cylonlover writes "In the 1800s, when pneumatic tubes shot telegrams and small items all around buildings and sometimes small cities, the future of mass transit seemed clear: we'd be firing people around through these sealed tubes at high speeds. And it turns out we've got the technology to do that today – mag-lev rail lines remove all rolling friction from the energy equation for a train, and accelerating them through a vacuum tunnel can eliminate wind resistance to the point where it's theoretically possible to reach blistering speeds over 4,000 mph (6,437 km/h) using a fraction of the energy an airliner uses – and recapturing a lot of that energy upon deceleration. Ultra-fast, high efficiency ground transport is technologically within reach – so why isn't anybody building it? This article looks into some of the problems."

Re:Why?

[O('_')O_Bush]

If man was meant to fly, he'd have been born with wings.

vacuum trains?!

[Thud457]

this idea sucks

Vacuum-Tube Trains

[fustakrakich]

They do have a warmer more 'natural' sound

Re:Ultra-efficient first post

[MRe_nl]

I'm not half as think as you drunk I am.

Re:The only answer for the USA

[MRe_nl]

It's the mile-low club.

Re:Related questions...

[j00r0m4nc3r]

Why do hot dogs come in packages of 10 but hot-dog rolls in packages of 8?

Two for Fido.

Re:Why?

[Anonymous Coward]

And if man wasn't meant to have sex with sheep then God wouldn't have made them so damn sexy!

Re:Why?

[thedonger]

XKCD reference [xkcd.com]

Re:The only answer for the USA

[vlm]

It's the mile-low club.

Technically its the "mile per second club".

MPH

[MRe_nl]

"Miles per hobo".

Re:Simple

[AK Marc]

My favorite thing about slashdot is all the people that assume that if they can't solve a problem by the time they post a comment, the problem is unsolvable.

Have you ever heard of airlocks?

Re:Maybe because...

[kheldan]

Never mind leaky tunnels, what about leaky cars? I can see the headline now:
Mach 10 Train Arrives At Station, All Passengers Dead From Exposure To Vacuum

Re:Simple

[Anonymous Coward]

"Outside of heavily subsidized metro area trains, I have not seen a train compete with the cost, let alone the time and convenience of driving alone."

I think Top Gear (completely unbiased) has proven time and time again that, up against all other forms of transportation, the car always wins.

Re:Maybe because...

[Bonobo_Unknown]

I went to find the six pack in my fridge but there wasn't one. You shouldn't play with people like that. I really wanted a beer too...